Namchi, Dec. 19 -- The Mines and Geology Department of the Government of Sikkim has officially commenced a regional coal exploration project across the Namchi district. This initiative, part of a broader mineral assessment program backed by the Government of India, aims to map the state's hidden energy resources within the Boomtaar-Saleybong-Ghattey Khola and Chisopaney (Nandu Gaon) sectors.

While Sikkim currently has no notified coalfields, the region sits atop the Rangit Tectonic Window, a geological formation known for widespread coal occurrences. Previous studies by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) have already estimated reserves of approximately 1.40 lakh tonnes in the Namchi area.

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