Thanks to the Rajasthan State Mineral Development Corporation Ltd (RSMDC), the switch to lignite has not only sent firewood prices reeling down but has also retained the ecological balance in the Bikaner and surrounding areas of the state.

Though the improvement is not very significant, officials at the RSMDC are satisfied with the development so far. RSMDC has also signed an agreement with Kazri of Jodhpur and the United States for reclaiming the area by tree plantation. The reclaiming is being done in the lignite-belt. The technical knowhow is being given by Kazri whereas US has given Rs 70 lakhs for the project.

Initially there was lot of resistance to use lignite instead of firewood but efforts of RSMDC finally began to yield fruits. The state has also stopped private mining of lignite for commercial purposes, because of the rich dividends the state could reap if the rights to minerest with only the state-owned RSMDC. The mining target of lignite for the current year is put at three lakh tonnes and the market demand is on the rise. Last year the total sales of lignite (1.78 lakh tonnes) fetched Rs 10.9 crore to RSMDC.

It was only in May 1995 that RSMDC began to dig for lignite at Giral, in the Barmer region and the reserves given to it are put at 22.3 million tonnes. The calorific value of lignite is 2,800 kilo calorics per kg with the fixed carbon in the range of 20 per cent and moisture 35 per cent. The ash content is around 22 per cent.

The mining cost at Giral is high as the ore to overburden ratio is 1:13 as against 1:4 in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. But still the mining is lucrative. "We are selling lignite at Rs 605 per tonne expit" says Ajay K Ahluwalia, general manager (mining) of RSMDC. "We have taken steps to make the lignite mining more economical and scientific," said Ahluwalia. The total estimated reserves of lignite in Rajasthan are put at 1,430 million tonnes as against22,000 million tonnes in Tamil Nadu and 940 million tonnes in Gujarat.

Lignite is not only used as fuel in households but also to generate power. At Birsingsar,near Bikaner, the Calcutta-based Hindustan Development Corporation Ltd has been allowed to put up a 500 MW lignite-based power plant but its progress has been very slow.

The government had also given lignite mines at Kapurdi and Jalipa in Batmer district to a private party for putting up lignite-based power plants.

RSMDC is now trying to tie-up with small size power plants (50 MW to 100 MW) for the supply of lignite. It has entered an MoU with DLF Power for the supply of lignite. RSMDC has also approached the Central Fuel Research Institute at Dhanbad for making studies on de-volatisation and de-sulphurisation of lignite so that its use could be allowed in the mini-cement plants. Ahluwalia says that lignite transportation is not a problem now following the use of new technology. The mined lignite has to be transported within 15 days.