Innovation and value addition necessary for Mining Industry said Shri Rajiv Ranjan Mishra , CMD of Western Coalfields Limited while inaugurating three days National conference and expo on “Advances in Mining and Geotechnical Engineering” GEOMINE 2019 at Hotel Tuli Imperial, Nagpur. Elaborating on efforts taken by WCL in this area he gave a detailed report of success of projects like Coal Neer, sand and bricks manufacturing. According to him sand manufacturing will be a major financial gain area for WCL in near future. He urged participants to adopt such innovative ideas as coal will be a major source of energy for another 40 years. He also gave many examples of how WCL is supplying water pumped from mines to different industries and villages which was earlier discharged in near by water streams.
Shri Dipankar Shome , Director, Production and Planning , MOIL ltd. was guest of honor of inauguration ceremony. He told how by doing value addition to manganese MOIL Ltd is selling manganese di oxide. He stressed that efforts in R & D needs to be augmented for mining in leaner ores and deep zones which are also geotechnicaly challenging.
Shri Govindlal Agrawal, General Secretary of Shri Ramdeobaba College of Engineering and Management, Nagpur in his presidential address stressed the need for extending know how to small scale mining sector. He desired better interaction between academic institutions and industry for mutual benefit.
A souvenir containing extract of papers was also released by the dignitaries.
The valedictory session was chaired by Shri Manoj Kumar, Director Technical Operations and Shri Ajit Choudhari, Director Technical Projects from WCL. Shri Manoj Kumar stressed the need of continuous geotechnical studies as mines are becoming deep and the formation more challenging. Shri Choudhari asked the participants to visit Eco Park and mineral water plant to get idea of innovativeness.
Alumni of mining department of Shri Ramdeobaba College of Engineering and Management presented a cheque of Rs Two Laks to General Secretary of the college Shri Govindlal Agrawal for constituting Gold Medal in the name of mining engineer late Shri Saheb Singh.
President of IMMA, Shri Sanodiya gave welcome address and Chairman of Conference organizing Committee Diwakar Gokhale presented details of conference. Prof Manoj Tiwari proposed vote of thanks.
The three day conference was attended by 150 delegates from academia, coal, metal, explosives, R &D, copper, zinc, cement, DGMS and geotechnical sector. More than 45 papers on topics like rock mechanics, geotechnical testing and exploration, geo environment, geo informatics, ground improvement techniques, instrumentation, design and modeling were presented. In the conference retired senior mining engineers were also felicitated. Key note papers were presented by Shri Rakesh Tumane, Director, MOIl Ltd, Dr Sunil Baraskar, GM, AFFCONS, Dr J C Jhanwar, Principal Scientist, CIMFR and Dr G G Manekar, G M, MOIL . Open session was conducted to prepare recommendation of the conference in which all the delegates participated and gave their valuable suggestions.
Stalls of mining machinery and geo textiles were also added attraction. Peer reviewed twenty five papers were also selected for publication in Web of Science index E Journal HELIX. Delegates were also taken to mineral water plant and Eco tourism Park at Saoner.
The conference was jointly organized by Civil Engineering department of Shri Ramdeobaba College of Engineering and Management , Nagpur Branch of Indian Mines Manager Association and VNIT Mining Alumni Association. A joint team of mining and geotechnical professionals from various public sector undertakings, Government departments and faculty members of civil engineering department, RCOEM under the mentorship of Dr P D Pachpor, Head, Civil Engineering Department, RCOEM and Prof. M. S. Tiwari Organizing Secretary worked hard for the successful organization of the conference.