Team News Riveting
Raipur, May 9
Converting calamity into creativity, the Umaria project of the South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) had developed a unique steam inhalation unit for its workforce.
The steam installation unit had been installed at the Johilla mine that facilitated workers coming out or moving in from the mines to inhale steam. Many studies had found that steam inhalation could be an effective treatment for Covid-19 positive patients. The heat waves of the steam have also been seen to denature the proteins that lead to loss of infectivity of the SARS-CoV-2. The researchers have shown that heat can also denature the SARS-CoV-2 virion’s proteins.
“During the time of severe crises inflicted by COVID-19, people are exploring the options to combat the infection,” SECL spokesperson said. The unique steam inhalation unit at Umaria project is part of the exercise, he said, adding that the unit was in-house innovation and developed by the electricity and engineering section of the company.
Umaria Coalfield is a part of SECL, straddling between the states of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. There are 14 coalfields spread across the districts of Sarguja, Koriya (both in Chhattisgarh) and Shahdol, Umaria (both in Madhya Pradesh). It covers an area of about 5,345 square kilometres and has estimated reserves of 15,613.98 million tonnes.
SECL, the largest coal producing company of the state-run Coal India Limited (CIL), had doled out all possible assistance to the authorities under its project areas to combat the contagious COVID-19.
