Kishan Reddy highlights SECL's green revival at Chachai mine, MP
Synopsis
Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy has highlighted SECL's Chachai Underground Project in Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh, as a demonstration of how obsolete mining infrastructure can be dismantled and transformed into an ecological revival, echoing PM Modi's green growth vision.
Key Takeaways
Union Coal and Mines Minister G.
Kishan Reddy on July 2, 2026 publicly endorsed the ecological transformation at SECL's Chachai Underground Project in Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh .
The minister stated that old, obsolete structures at the site have been 'completely dismantled and stabilised,' resulting in what he described as a dramatic environmental revival.
SECL (South Eastern Coalfields Limited) is a subsidiary of Coal India Limited and operates mines primarily in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh .
The initiative is framed as aligned with PM Modi 's green growth vision and India's broader net-zero commitment announced at COP26 in 2021 .
The Ministry of Coal set up Sustainable Development Cells in coal companies around 2019–2020 to drive environmental restoration at mining sites.
Formal environmental audit reports and mine closure certificates for Chachai are awaited to independently verify the claimed ecological outcomes.
Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy on Thursday, July 2, 2026, spotlighted the ecological transformation underway at SECL's Chachai Underground Project in Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh, describing the dismantling of obsolete mining infrastructure as a model for environmental rejuvenation aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's green growth vision.
Context
In his post, the minister stated that 'old, obsolete structures have been completely dismantled and stabilised, bringing a dramatic environmental revival to the region.' He framed the Chachai project as proof that ageing mining sites can be repurposed for ecological restoration rather than left as industrial scars. The post was shared with the Ministry of Coal and SECL tagged, signalling an official endorsement of the initiative.
Shahdol district in Madhya Pradesh has a long history of underground coal mining, and its older infrastructure has been a persistent environmental concern for local communities. The Chachai project represents one of the more visible rehabilitation efforts at a legacy underground site operated by South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited (CIL).
Policy Backdrop
The initiative sits within a broader policy arc that gained momentum after Prime Minister Modi announced India's net-zero target by 2070 at COP26 in 2021, explicitly linking the coal sector's future to sustainable land management. The Ministry of Coal established Sustainable Development Cells within coal companies around 2019–2020 to institutionalise environmental restoration at both operational and closed mining sites.
Coal India Limited, as India's largest state-owned coal producer, has since been under incremental pressure to reframe legacy sites — particularly older underground workings — as rehabilitation opportunities. The Chachai project fits this pattern of gradual policy integration across CIL subsidiaries, where land stabilisation and ecological recovery are increasingly presented alongside production metrics.
Stakeholders and Impact
Local communities near Shahdol, who have lived alongside the environmental footprint of decades-old mining operations, stand to benefit most directly from the stabilisation and greening of the Chachai site. The dismantling of derelict structures reduces risks such as subsidence, dust pollution, and waterway contamination that are commonly associated with abandoned underground workings.
For SECL's workforce and environmental regulators, the project also sets a potential benchmark. If the Chachai model is formally documented and audited, it could inform mine closure guidelines across other coalfields in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh where similar legacy infrastructure exists.
What's Next
Attention will now turn to whether the Ministry of Coal releases formal environmental audit reports or mine closure certificates for the Chachai site, which would allow independent assessment of the claimed ecological revival. Observers will also watch for any policy directive to scale the rehabilitation approach to comparable SECL and CIL sites across India's coalfields.
The minister's public communication on this project suggests the government intends to use Chachai as a visible symbol of its 'green growth' narrative in the coal sector — a narrative that will face scrutiny as India continues to expand coal production to meet energy demand while simultaneously pursuing its climate commitments.
Point of View
The Ministry of Coal is attempting to reframe legacy mine rehabilitation not as a remediation obligation but as a proactive green growth achievement. The move is also politically significant for the BJP in Madhya Pradesh, where mining communities and environmental concerns intersect. However, the credibility of this narrative will ultimately rest on independently verified environmental outcomes — data that has not yet been made public.
NationPress
2 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the SECL Chachai Underground Project in Shahdol?
The SECL Chachai Underground Project is a legacy coal mining site in Shahdol district, Madhya Pradesh, operated by South Eastern Coalfields Limited, where old and obsolete underground mining structures are being dismantled and the land stabilised for ecological restoration.
What did Coal Minister Kishan Reddy say about the Chachai project?
On July 2, 2026, Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy posted on X that the Chachai Underground Project demonstrates how old mining infrastructure can pave the way for ecological rejuvenation, with obsolete structures completely dismantled and stabilised.
What is SECL and which states does it operate in?
SECL, or South Eastern Coalfields Limited, is a subsidiary of Coal India Limited and one of India's major coal producers, operating primarily in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
How does the Chachai project relate to PM Modi's green growth vision?
Minister Kishan Reddy explicitly linked the Chachai rehabilitation effort to Prime Minister Modi's green growth vision, which includes India's net-zero target by 2070 announced at COP26 in 2021 and the integration of environmental restoration into coal sector operations.
What is the Ministry of Coal's Sustainable Development Cell?
The Ministry of Coal established Sustainable Development Cells within coal companies around 2019–2020 to institutionalise environmental management and ecological restoration at both operational and closed mining sites across India.
