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Abstract
Over the past two decades there has been growing importance of sustainable development principles within the mining sector. Coal mining is the foundation of India as well as Odisha’s economic development. It provides energy safety. However, continued production of minerals and fossil energy fuels may not fit into sustainability principle. A number of coal mining companies, all over the world, have embraced sustainability as a prime aspect of corporate philosophy. The increasing need of sustainable mining has been realised especially in the light of environmental externalities and global warming. It is in this context, the research problem has been built. Mahanadi coal fields limited (MCL) which was carved out of south eastern coal field limited (SECL) was formed on 3rd April 1992 with its head quarters at Sambalpur, Odisha. The coal reserve of MCL is spread over its two coal fields viz Talcher and and IB River valley with ten operating areas consisting six underground and sixteen open cast projects under its fold. To what extent MCL seems to take care of the environmental externalities? Does it adopt the sustainable mining operations? These are some of the queries which the paper attempts to ponder.