New Delhi, April 03: NLC India Limited (NLCIL), the Navratna- Government of India enterprise is all set to start production of ‘M- Sand’ from Overburden, the core material used in civil construction. This initiative is based on promoting sustainable practices under the mentorship of the Ministry of Coal for maximizing the utilization of natural resources and minimizing the impact on river Eco System.
During Opencast Mining, the Overburden sandstone is removed as waste to extract Lignite and the overburden is kept in dumps. NLCIL and IIT Chennai made extensive study for conversion of overburden sandstone into IS 383: 2016 M-sand and found suitable for construction.
NLCIL will produce about 2.62 Lakh Cubic Meters of M-Sand from Overburden annually under Build Own- Operate (BOO) business model from Lignite Mine-IA. In this regard, Contract is awarded on 31.03.2023 for establishing M-Sand Plant. NLCIL plans to establish similar plants at Lignite Mine-I and Lignite Mine-II. Necessary statutory clearances have been obtained from Central Government. This project is first of its kind in Lignite Mining Industry.
