A two-day official visit to Neyveli was undertaken by G. Kishan Reddy, the Union Minister of Coal and Mines, on February 22–23, 2026. The purpose of this tour was to examine projects that were being undertaken by NLC India Limited (NLCIL) and to open the very first session of the National Workshop on Mine Closure. CISF personnel presented the Minister with a ceremonial guard of respect after he was met by Prasanna Kumar Motupalli, Chief Management Director of the National Legislative Council of India (NLCIL), along with functional directors. Prior to analysing NLCIL’s operational performance and long-term growth strategy with senior management, he engaged in conversations with trade unions, associations, and other key stakeholders during the course of the tour.
During his visit to the mining site, the Minister engaged in direct interaction with the workforce and took part in a tree-planting initiative, thus highlighting the government’s commitment to environmentally responsible mining practices and sustainable mining practices. In addition to this, he discussed the various land reclamation activities that have been implemented, such as the cultivation of paddy on reclaimed mined land, the undertaking of biodiversity conservation efforts at an ecologically critical bat habitat, and the establishment of a Butterfly Park within the reclamation zone.
Several initiatives that are connected to sustainability were initiated by the Minister, one of which was the Overburden-to-Sand Project, which attempted to transform mining by-products into resources that have value added to them. In addition, he initiated a programme that would provide school children with eco-tourism buses in order to raise awareness about the environment and encourage responsible mining methods.
The launching of the two-day National Workshop with the title “Moving Beyond Extraction – Mine Closure & Repurposing” was a significant highlight of the visit. The workshop aimed to establish scientific land repurposing and sustainable mine closure as essential pillars of India’s expanding mining framework. Over two hundred delegates participated in the workshop, which brought together senior policymakers, leaders from the public sector, and other individuals to discuss post-mining land use solutions that are community-centric and involve ecological restoration.
During his keynote presentation, the Minister expressed his commitment to aligning the programme with the national goal of Viksit Bharat 2047. He emphasised that although mining continues to be essential for the development of infrastructure and energy security, environmental restoration must be the defining characteristic of its long-term legacy. He demanded a mine that was quantifiable and had a time limit.
