Question

Coal mines are concentrated in _________, ______ and _________.
A) Bihar
B) Bengal
C) Orissa
D) All of them

Answer 1

Hint: The older Gondwana (Coal is moisture-free and high in phosphorus and sulphur) Formations of peninsular India and the younger tertiary (It has a low carbon content but is high in moisture and sulphur) formations of the north-eastern region include India's coal resources.

Complete answer:
Despite having the world's fifth-largest coal reserves, India is a major coal importer due to its over-reliance on thermal power generation and steel production. The majority of India's coal mines are in eastern and south-central India, particularly in the Chota Nagpur plateau region, which encompasses the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, and West Bengal.

 Chota Nagpur plateau –
- The Chota Nagpur Plateau is a plateau in eastern India that encompasses much of the state of Jharkhand, as well as sections of Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal, and Chhattisgarh.
- In India, the Chota Nagpur region contains the most valuable concentration of mineral resources.
The Damodar Valley contains extensive coal reserves, while the Hazaribagh region is one of the world's leading mica producers. Copper, limestone, bauxite, iron ore, asbestos, and apatite are some of the other minerals (useful in the manufacture of phosphate fertilizers).
- Bokaro, in eastern Jharkhand, is home to a massive thermal power plant as well as a significant steel mill. Railroads run through the plateau, linking Kolkata (Calcutta), West Bengal, to Patna, Bihar, to the north, as well as other cities in the south and west.

Therefore, Option ‘D’ i.e, All of the above is the correct answer because coal mines are concentrated in Bihar, west Bengal and Odisha.

Note: As of April 1, 2020, Coal India Limited owns 352 mines, including 158 underground mines, 174 opencast mines, and 20 mixed mines. CIL also owns and operates 12 coal washeries (ten for coking coal and two for non-coking coal), as well as workshops and hospitals.