Pench Kanhan Coalfield

In 1845, the earliest systematic exploration of India’s coal resources was initiated by D.H.Williams, Geological Surveyor of the East India Company. In 1924, Dr. Cyril Fox surveyed once again certain coal-bearing areas, including the Pench, Kanhan and Tawa Valleys. The collieries in Pench Kanhan Coalfield were owned by several companies and owners such as Amalgamated Coalfields Limited, Pench Valley Coal Company, N.H.Ojha & Co., J.A.Trivedi Brothers, Newton Chikli Collieries (Private) Ltd., S.C.Kambata (Pvt) Ltd., Oriental Coal Co. Ltd., Sial Ghogri Group and The Jamai Majri Coal Co. Ltd. These were nationalized in 1973. ==The coalfield==

Satpura Coalfields are located in northern Chhindwara and Betul Districts, south of the Narmada. Three rivers flow through the area - Pench, Kanhan and Tawa. There are four coalfields in these valleys – Pench Kanhan Valley Coalfield, Mohpani Coalfield, Tawa Valley Coalfield and Pathakhera Coalfield. Outside the Damodar Valley, Satpura Gondwana Basin is the only area where coking coal is found in India. The Pench Kanhan Valley Coalfield is situated to the northwest of Chhindwara. While Pench Valley has five seams in a column of 50-80 m thickness, the coal belt in the Kanhan valley stretches for about . In the Pench valley, except for seam no I, the other seams occur in patches. ==References==