Sambalpur: March 31: Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) has adopted a three-prong strategy of “produce, procure and prevent (3-P)” in wake of Covid-19 as company, continuing with mining operations, works in a close coordination with the state authority to fight the pandemic in Odisha.
Besides pushing their limits to ‘produce’ maximum coal to ensure adequate supply of dry fuel to thermal power plants, the brave coal miners are also in to sanitizing residential colonies and neighboring areas to ‘prevent’ exposure to novel corona virus.
MCL has set-up an internal COViD-19 Task force with helplines covering all its coalfields and headquarters, while working on mission mode to “procure” equipment to support Odisha government in the fight against pandemic.
Coal mines are operational with local teams of brave coal miners taking all precautions by sanitizing premises, equipment and machinery with Sodium hypochloride by using hand-operated pumps.
MCL has provided around 29,000 masks to employees and contractors’ workers while 90,000 more are being procured for further distribution.
The company has also pressed in service state-of-the-art equipment “fog cannons”, to prevent the spread of virus in residential colonies and nearby areas.
At least 164-bed quarantine facilities have been prepared by MCL in its hospitals in Jharsuguda, Angul and Sundergarh districts while 13 Rooms & two Halls in the new Girl’s Hostel at Sambalpur University, which was being constructed under MCL’s CSR, has been prepared for a 90-bedded COVID-19 Isolation Centre.
A total of 170 oxygen cylinders have been made available at four hospitals of MCL having quarantine facilities i.e. the Nehru Shatabadi Hospital, Talcher (Angul), Lakhanpur Hospital (Jharsuguda), Central Hospital (Jharsuguda) and Basundhara Hospital (Sundergrah).
Besides, 42 Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), 6,166 masks and 201 sanitizers have also been made available for doctors and para-medics.
MCL is also funding for a 500 bedded COVID-19 hospital, having 25 ICU beds, being set-up by SUM Hospital, Bhubaneswar. While 25 ventilators are being purchased for this COVID-19 hospital, five more are in the process of procurement.
On the other hand, coal mining operations — being an emergency service — are in full-swing to produce adequate quantity of dry fuel and ensure uninterrupted supply of energy for households and hospitals.
Besides safety equipment, all workers in field operations have been provided gamchha (cotton towels) for dust prevention and relief from heat, apart from masks and sanitizers.
The company has implemented “work from home” and managing office with skeletal staff on rotation.
Around 16,000 employees of MCL and 11,130 contractors’ workers led by 783 officers are running 15 coal mine projects, around the clock, in Angul, Jharsuguda and Sundergarh districts of Odisha .
