Coal Ministry unveils SUVIKALP tool to repurpose closed and abandoned mines

The Coal Ministry's Coal Controller Organisation (CCO) has developed SUVIKALP, a digital tool to help decide how closed and abandoned coal and lignite mines can be put to new use.

The platform is aligned with the Mining Plan Guidelines for Coal and Lignite Mine, 2025. The ministry says it aims to give a scientific, transparent and standardised way to identify post-mining land uses, replacing fragmented assessments.

How it works

Users enter site-specific information on geology, environment, infrastructure, finances and socio-economic factors to build a profile of a mine. The platform uses a multi-criteria method called TOPSIS to rank possible repurposing options, so choices rest on site conditions rather than subjective judgement alone.

Community priorities enter through a framework called RECLAIM. A further module, PRISM, helps users explore how to carry out a project, with a repository of concept notes, national and international case studies, sample tender documents and implementing agencies.

What happens next

The ministry's next phase lists wider adoption across closed and abandoned mines, turning recommendations into feasibility studies and detailed project reports, better coordination among government, industry and experts, mobilising investment, capacity building, and monitoring results. The release does not name any mine where the tool has been used.

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Source: official release by the Ministry of Coal, issued through the Press Information Bureau, Government of India (03 NOV 2026 1:30PM by PIB Delhi). Read the full official text: SUVIKALP- Mine Repurposing Tool; Transforming Closed and Abandoned Mines into Productive Assets.