A satellite-based study of coal fires and open-cast mining activity in Raniganj coalfield, West Bengal

Satellite-based mapping of coal fire is an effective technique in terms of cost and time. At present, ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer) is the only available spaceborne sensor, which provides multi-channel thermal data. ASTER provides moderate-resolution thermal data useful for mapping of coal fires, which generally have small spatial dimension. In the present study, nighttime thermal data of ASTER have proved useful to map the latest distribution (December 2006) of coal fires in Raniganj coalfield. The coal-fire map shows that major fires are associated with open-cast mines of the coalfield. This suggests that the mining method may have played key role in aggrandizing this environmental hazard in the coalfield. It has been also observed that most open-cast mines occurring at the NW portion of the colliery are affected by coal fire.