Tata Steel introduces hydroseeding at its West Bokaro Division, Jharkhand – over 50 acres of mined land greened

27 October 2026 · English Sports

Topics: Sports, International, Science & Environment · 27 October 2026 Current Affairs (UPSC / TNPSC / SSC / RRB)

News

Tata Steel has introduced 'hydroseeding' at its West Bokaro Division (coal mine) in Ramgarh district, Jharkhand (reports of 23–25 Oct 2026). It has been applied on over 50 acres of mine areas, nurseries and overburden dumps. The machine sprays the slurry up to 50 m and can cover slopes up to 80 m long. It is described as the first such initiative in the State; the company says greenery has already appeared at several spots.

Key facts

Background

• What is hydroseeding? A mechanised planting method that sprays a slurry of seeds, mulch, fertiliser and tackifier under high pressure onto bare ground. The mulch crust holds moisture and shields seeds from sun and birds. It suits steep slopes hard to plant by hand and improves worker safety. (It differs from seed balls and hydroponics.)
• Mine reclamation: in open-cast mining the soil and rock above the mineral is called 'overburden'; the dumps it forms erode and slide in rain. Under mine-closure plans they are levelled, topsoiled and revegetated – 'reclamation'.
• Jharkhand geography: carved out of Bihar on 15 Nov 2000; capital Ranchi; Chota Nagpur Plateau. The Damodar valley (Gondwana coal) holds the Jharia, Bokaro and Karanpura coalfields. The Damodar is the 'Sorrow of Bengal'; the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) was set up in 1948.
• Economy: coking coal is heated into 'coke', which smelts iron ore in blast furnaces – hence vital for steel. Tata Steel (TISCO) was founded in 1907 at Jamshedpur (Sakchi); it sources part of its coal from its West Bokaro and Jharia mines.

Tamil Nadu link: Tamil Nadu has no major coal mines (only lignite at Neyveli). But Salem district is famous for magnesite; the State-owned Tamil Nadu Magnesite Ltd (TANMAG) mines it at Salem. Magnesite is used in refractory bricks that line steel furnaces.

Source: The Photon News, 23 Oct 2026; New Indian Express, 25 Oct 2026 (via Insights IAS, 26 Oct); Wikipedia – West Bokaro Coalfield

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