The mining of coal in the districts of Adilabad, Karimnagar, Warangal and Khammam began a hundred years ago under the Singareni collieries in our state.

This back gold is spread over 64, 000 hectares of area. Thick dense forests occupy 12,000 hectares of this area.

To extract coal without damaging the forests requires digging of tunnels underneath the forest land which is very difficult. As the tunnel progresses, the heat increases. Toxic gases like carbon monoxide are released too.

Risking their lives, twenty-four hours a day, miners dig out this coal to feed thermal power plants to produce electricity. Unit makes an hour’s travel through the tunnel to reach the coal reserves in the mine and the workers have to labor for an hour before they can come out. They have to continuously keep moving ahead, without allowing their steps to pause for even a minute. This is the kind of hard work that goes into providing us with light at home. The collieries management takes continuous action to prevent the coal dust from damaging the workers health.

In the second type of mining, the trees are cut down and the fertile top soil is piled up in a heap. Under this layer is the rocky ground. The rock has to be pulverized, for us to be able to reach the coal under it. This completely devastates the flora and the area and several living species lose their habit. [This is unavoidable if we are to get out coal] the soil and rock removed from the mine is arranged in layers.

After the coal has been taken out, the layers are pushed back into the mines in the same sequence as they were taken out. This land is barren now and hence n plant or tree usually grows here. However, to prevent this fertile topsoil is spread over the rocky layers and a variety of saplings are planted over it. When these saplings grow up, they attract birds, animals and insects which help in almost relaying the ground with a new layer of fertile top soil.

The nurseries that supply these saplings to the collieries are in Kothagudem and Ramagundam. Every year about two million saplings are planted in the mining area in an effort tp protect the environment. The topsoil that has been dug p is prevented from getting washed away in the rains by the construction of dams and enclosures. To increase the fertility of the soil, earthworms and rhizobium are introduced into it. The soil is kept moist for the variety of trees to be planted in it later.

The ash from the thermal plant is turned into bricks and used for construction of houses. All the employees of the Singareni collieries, from the highest to the lowest, take keen interest in the afforestation program. Their children are being trained to become green warriors-to protect and increase the forestland.

Aruku valley

The name, Aruku valley, brings to mind swift flowing rivers, cascading waterfalls and vast, green forests. We affectionately call it the Andhra Ootacamund. Flowing through, the Gosthani River, [born in the world famous Burra caves] nears the Gali Konda and the Raktha konda, moves gracefully towards Visakhapatnam.

Packed with tourists and film-makers all the time, the Aruku valley is also getting filled with waste now. Some organizations are ruining its beauty carrying on mining operations in the area. The river is close to drying up. The Raktha konda may be crushed by heavy machines and the tribal people living there may lose their homes. The Katikaa waterfall, a special attraction for tourists there, is also drying up. Urgent steps are needed to protect the environment in this green valley.