In 1917, L.S.S.O’Malley described the coalfields in the upper reaches of the Damodar as follows: "Near the western boundary of Jharia field is that of Bokaro, covering 220 square miles (570 km2), with an estimated content of 1,500 million tons; close by… is the Ramgarh field (40 square miles), in which, however, coal is believed to be of inferior quality. A still larger field in the same district is that called Karanpura, which extends over" 544 square miles (1,410 km2) "and has an estimated capacity of 9,000 million tons."[1]
The Coalfield
The South Karanpura coalfield forms an elongated strip along the Chingara fault. Barkakana railway junction is situated at the south-east edge of the field. There are two coal beds:the upper one is 50 feet (15 m) thick and the lower one 38 feet (12 m) thick, separated by sandstone, shales and shaly coal, mixed coal and shale.[2]
South Karnpura Coalfield covers an area of 195 square kilometres (75 sq mi) and has total coal reserves of 5,757.85 million tonnes.[3]
3km 2miles
Damodar River
Urimari
CT
Patratu
CT
CCL Barka Sayal Area Office
A
Urimari UGP
U
Saunda D OCP
O
North Urimari OCP
O
Bhurkunda OCP
O
Bhurkunda Colliery
U
Collieries in CCL Barka Sayal Area (South Karanpura Coalfield) U: Underground Colliery, O: Open Cast Colliery, A: Administrative headquarters, CT: census town Owing to space constraints in the small map, the actual locations in a larger map may vary slightly
3km 2miles
River
Damodar
Sirka
CT
Religara
CT
Gidi
CT
CCL Argada Area Office
A
Gidi washery
W
Argada Colliery
U
Sirka colliery
O
Religara colliery
M
Gidi colliery
O
Collieries in the CCL Argada Area (South Karanpura Colafield) U: Underground colliery, O: Open Cast colliery, M: Mixed colliery, W: Washery, S: Facility, A: Administrative headquarters, CT: census town, H: historical, religious, tourist centre Owing to space constraints in the small map, the actual locations in a larger map may vary slightly
Reserves
Geological reserves in the South Karanpura Coalfield in million tonnes as on 1/4/2010:[4]
Bhurkunda underground, Central Saunda underground, Saunda D underground, Saunda underground, Sayal D underground, Urimari underground, North Urimari/ Birsa opencast, Bhurkunda opencast. The area office is at Sayal, PO Saunda.[5]
Gidi A Open Cast, Gidi C opencast, Religara opencast/ underground, Sirka opencast, Sirka underground, Argada underground, Giddi Washery. The area office is at Sirka, PO Argada 829101.[6]
Non-CCL mines
Jharkhand State Mineral Development Corporation: Patratu [7]
Transport
In 1927, Bengal Nagpur Railway opened the 72-mile (116 km) Barkakana-Muri-Chandil line to traffic. In the same year the Central India Coalfields Railway opened the Gomoh-Barkakana line. It was extended to Daltonganj in 1929. Later these lines were amalgamated with East India Railway.[8]
