New Delhi, 21 October (H.S.): The Central Government is working to scientifically repurpose land at closed coal mines and transform it into productive assets that support environmental restoration, livelihood generation and economic development. As part of this initiative, ‘SuVikalp’, a digital tool developed to facilitate the process, was honoured with the SKOCH Gold Award 2026 on Wednesday in the ‘Digital Operational Efficiency – Data-Driven Decision-Making’ category.

The Coal Controller’s Organisation (CCO), under the Union Ministry of Coal, developed the digital tool to assess and prioritise projects for the repurposing of closed mines based on technical, environmental, social and economic parameters.

Once a project has been selected, the PRISM (Post-Mining Repurposing Implementation Strategy Model) can be used to prepare a roadmap for its implementation. The model provides resources covering project conceptualisation, implementation approaches, illustrative examples, sample Detailed Project Reports (DPRs), tender documents and information about agencies working in relevant sectors.

The CCO has also organised the ‘SuVikalp Samvad’ webinar series to facilitate the exchange of information on mine closure and the repurposing of abandoned mines. A total of 12 thematic webinars were conducted under the initiative. Discussions covered the Reclaim and Lives framework, the SuVikalp tool, the establishment of Project Management Units, community participation, tourism and destination development, livelihood opportunities, financing mechanisms, innovative uses of waterlogged areas in abandoned mines, and national and international experiences.

According to the Ministry of Coal, the initiative has helped coal companies move beyond treating mine closure solely as a matter of regulatory compliance. Instead, it encourages them to integrate the process with environmental restoration, livelihood creation, community development and economic diversification.

The initiative aims to transform closed coal mines into productive assets while promoting sustainable development in the regions surrounding them.

It may be noted that the announcement conferring the SKOCH Gold Award 2026 on the digital tool ‘SuVikalp’ was made on September 26.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar