DISASTER MANAGEMENT - A CASE STUDY OF NEW KENDA COLLIERY

摘要

Occurrence of the mine fires is the common feature in the coal mines. However, fires generally give prior indications & remedial measures are taken well in time before it goes out of proportions. When fire can not be controlled, the area encompassing the fire is isolated by sealing the area with isolation stoppings or mine out lets. In the history of coal mining in India, there are only tiro cases of mine fires which caused loss of more than 10 lives in underground coal mines. First case of fire involving 35 fatalities occurred in Loyabad Colliery on 30th January, 1936. However, in Loyabad colliery, persons were not killed due to fire but fatalities occurred due to explosion when persons were engaged for sealing the fire area. Second case of fire involving 55 fatalities happened in New Kenda Colliery on 25th January 1994. Fire in New Kenda Colliery was the unique in the sense that fire was not known in advance & gave no indications even a few minutes before the occurrence. The place of fire was in the main shaft level nacr downcast pit used for coal winding through which about 5000 cu.m./min. of air was going down in the Dobrana seam workings. Shaft level was continuously frequented by work persons & used as the endless haulage level for transporting coal. This is the first case of fire in the intake roadway in such a devastating form. In this paper, efforts have been made to highlight the deficiencies & problems faced in handling New Kenda disaster. It may also be mentioned that, after the disaster, some spectacular work of reopening of sealed off fire area was carried out for investigation by the court of enquiry which is also unique in the annals of the history.