Coal Minister Kishan Reddy Flags SECL Eco-Park at Anuppur Mine Site
Synopsis
Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy has highlighted SECL's Jamuna 3 & 4 Incline Project in Anuppur, Madhya Pradesh, where old underground mine workings have been rehabilitated into a community Eco-Park, framing it as a model of green recovery aligned with PM Modi's sustainable development vision.
Key Takeaways
Kishan Reddy , Union Coal and Mines Minister, spotlighted the SECL Jamuna 3 & 4 Incline Project on 5 July 2026 .
Old underground incline workings at Anuppur, Madhya Pradesh have been excavated, dismantled, and converted into an Eco-Park for local communities.
South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) is a subsidiary of Coal India Limited and operates the project site.
The initiative aligns with Ministry of Coal mine closure guidelines first issued in 2009 , which mandate environmental restoration at closed mine sites.
The project is part of a broader pattern of CIL subsidiaries converting legacy sites into parks and tourism spots since the mid-2010s .
Similar eco-park and mine-water tourism models are expected to be replicated at other SECL and CIL sites across central India.
Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy on Sunday, 5 July 2026, highlighted South Eastern Coalfields Limited's (SECL) Jamuna 3 & 4 Incline Project in Anuppur, Madhya Pradesh, describing it as a model of green recovery where old underground mine workings have been rehabilitated into a community Eco-Park.
Context
Kishan Reddy's post frames the project as an expression of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for sustainable development. The minister noted that old incline workings at the site were 'excavated, dismantled, and successfully integrated into a revitalised ecosystem featuring an Eco-Park for the local community.' The Jamuna 3 & 4 Incline Project is located in Anuppur district, a coal-bearing zone in eastern Madhya Pradesh where SECL operates several mines.
SECL is a subsidiary of Coal India Limited (CIL), the state-owned mining conglomerate that accounts for the bulk of India's domestic coal output. The project involves the conversion of closed incline — or slope-entry underground — mine workings into green public space, a practice that has gained traction across CIL subsidiaries over the past decade.
Policy Backdrop
The Ministry of Coal issued mine closure guidelines in 2009, with subsequent revisions, that mandate environmental restoration and alternative land use once mining operations cease at a site. These guidelines place obligations on operators to rehabilitate land, manage water bodies, and ensure community benefit — requirements that fall under statutory Corporate Environmental Responsibility norms.
Since the mid-2010s, multiple Coal India subsidiaries have converted closed inclines and opencast voids into parks, water bodies, and tourism destinations. The Jamuna 3 & 4 initiative sits within this broader pattern of legacy-site remediation that the central government has promoted as evidence that coal mining and environmental stewardship can coexist.
Stakeholders and Impact
The primary beneficiaries of the Eco-Park are local communities in Anuppur, a district where coal mining has historically shaped both livelihoods and landscapes. For the coal mining workforce, the project signals a managed transition pathway for sites that have exhausted their extractable reserves, offering an alternative to abandonment.
Environmentally, the conversion of legacy mine workings reduces surface hazard risks — such as subsidence and acid drainage — associated with unmanaged closed mines. The Eco-Park model also provides green cover and recreational space in an area where industrial land use has previously dominated.
What's Next
The Ministry of Coal and CIL have signalled intent to replicate eco-park and mine-water tourism models at other SECL and CIL sites across central India. Observers will watch whether Parliament sees new mine-closure policy amendments that further codify such rehabilitation requirements, and whether the Jamuna 3 & 4 project is formally designated a template for the sector's green transition agenda.
Point of View
Deploying a single rehabilitated mine site to reinforce the government's narrative that fossil-fuel extraction and environmental responsibility are not mutually exclusive. The timing matters: as India faces mounting international pressure to accelerate its clean-energy transition, showcasing green recovery at legacy coal sites offers a domestic counter-narrative. The Eco-Park framing also serves a political purpose in Madhya Pradesh, a key BJP state, by linking a tangible community asset to the PM's sustainable development brand. Whether isolated showcase projects translate into systemic mine-closure enforcement across CIL's vast portfolio remains the sharper policy question.
NationPress
5 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the SECL Jamuna 3 and 4 Incline Project?
The SECL Jamuna 3 & 4 Incline Project is a South Eastern Coalfields Limited initiative in Anuppur, Madhya Pradesh, where old underground incline mine workings have been excavated, dismantled, and converted into an Eco-Park for local communities.
Where is the SECL Eco-Park located?
The Eco-Park developed under the Jamuna 3 & 4 Incline Project is located in Anuppur district, eastern Madhya Pradesh, an area with significant coal mining activity under SECL operations.
What are India's mine closure rules for coal mines?
The Ministry of Coal issued mine closure guidelines in 2009, with subsequent revisions, requiring coal mine operators to carry out environmental restoration and provide alternative land use — such as parks or water bodies — after mining ceases at a site.
What is South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL)?
South Eastern Coalfields Limited is a subsidiary of Coal India Limited, the state-owned coal mining conglomerate. SECL operates mines primarily in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
Has Coal India converted other mine sites into eco-parks?
Yes, since the mid-2010s several Coal India subsidiaries have converted closed inclines and opencast voids into parks, water bodies, and tourism destinations as part of statutory Corporate Environmental Responsibility obligations.
