Coal Minister orders probe into unanticipated land caving in Odisha

Union Coal Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday ordered a probe into the sudden caving in of land in Odisha's Talcher city.

Goyal's directive came following a request from Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Taking to Twitter, Goyal informed that he has ordered a fact-finding enquiry by a team of experts from the Director General Mines Safety (DGMS), Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Limited (CMPDIL) and Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL).

"Shri @dpradhanbjp conveyed his concerns about reports of sudden caving in of land in Talcher, Odisha affecting some residential houses.

"Ordered a fact-finding enquiry by a team of experts from DGMS, CMPDIL and MCL on the incident urgently. Interests of local community paramount," the Minister tweeted.

In a letter to Goyal, Pradhan informed him of the incident that took place on Wednesday, saying it had caused panic among the residents.

"I take this opportunity to request you to take urgent remedial measures including an inquiry into the incident to ensure the safety and well being of the residents of the affected area," said the Petroleum Minister.

(With inputs from agencies.)