DHAKA: Power, Energy & Mineral Resources State Minister Nasrul Hamid on Thursday categorically said coal lifting from the northern part of Barapukuria coal mine would begin in open-pit mining system from September.

The state minister made the disclosure while talking to journalists after a concluding session of Deputy Commissioners (DC) conference in secretariat office of the city on Thursday.

He said Institute of Water Modeling (IWM) of Water Resources Ministry has been working for making the ‘Water Management Model’ operating a survey titled ‘Hydrological Study and Ground Water Modeling for Northern part of Barapukuria Coal Mining’.

The procedure of extracting coal would be completed within September and after getting that the lifting would start, he added.

Nasrul Hamid said implementing the project a plant with 13-MW power could be installed. They also planned to take land lease.

It would take five year for lifting the coal besides the construction work of the power plant would also be continued at the same time.

He said, “In the conference the DCs of the different districts demanded uninterrupted power supply. I assured them about the power, but we have some distribution problem which would be solved immediately.”

Advisor to the Prime Minister for Power, Fuel and Mineral Resources Affairs Dr Tawfiq-E-Elahi Chowdhury claimed that the power situation of the country is better than the earlier.

BDST: 1742 HRS, JUL 10, 2014