South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) has inaugurated a new Highwall Mining Machine at Sharda OCM in the Sohagpur Area, marking a major step towards enhancing coal production capacity and mining efficiency.

Following the inauguration on April 19, 2026, production operations commenced successfully using the new machine. The advanced equipment is expected to support continuous production for nearly nine years at the Sharda Project, helping increase coal output and improve operational performance.

The initiative is aimed at accelerating the adoption of modern mining technology while strengthening safe, efficient and well-organised operations at the project.

Area General Manager B.K. Jena and General Manager (Operations) Manish Kumar Srivastava were present at the event, along with departmental heads, officers and employees.