Ministry of Coal Releases 'AAROH': India's First Report on Scientific Mine Closure and Repurposing Practices

The Ministry of Coal released ‘AAROH – Annual Report on Mine Closure’, the first India‑wide documentation of scientific mine‑closure and repurposing practices, covering 42 closed coal mines and detailing reclamation, ecological restoration and post‑mining land‑use outcomes. The report outlines key frameworks such as RECLAIM, L.I.V.E.S., SUVIKALP and the Mine Closure Guidelines 2025, and notes that 25 % of approved closure costs are earmarked for community development, with a dedicated corpus of over USD 5 billion. An Implementation Agreement with Germany’s GIZ, funded with EUR 10 million, was signed to boost technical cooperation. The event also inaugurated Coal NEER plants that treat mine water for safe drinking water and highlighted tripartite MoUs for skill‑development in the Jharia region.