AKIPRESS.COM - Two coal mines in Maharasthra, India are conducting guided tours of their quarries - the first of its kind in India. With other states planning to follow suit, mining sites across the mineral-rich country are expected to soon become tourist hot spots, reports Sputnik.

India's traditional tourist destinations like its picturesque natural sites and architectural exquisiteness are about to get serious competition from an unexpected destination, coal mining fields. The coal mines of Saoner and Gondegaon near Nagpur in the western state of Maharashtra are already attracting huge number of tourists.

As part of its Eco Mine Tourism project, Western Coalfields Limited, a subsidiary of Coal India Limited, a Public Sector Undertaking, has opened an Eco-park in a beautiful landscape located between the two coal fields. The Eco-park aims to showcase the minimal environmental impact and Eco-friendliness of mining activities. While the guided tour of the Saoner underground mine requires medical clearance, the activities in the Gondegaon opencast mine are open to be observed by anyone from an appropriate distance.

Anil Swarup, Secretary, Ministry of Coal, told Sputnik that this endeavor is mainly aimed at proving that India is slowly but steadily taking to cleaner and Eco-friendly techniques of coal extraction and that reforestation is being done in areas adjoining coal fields.

Locals are allowed to tour the coal mines for free. However, according to the sources, Coal India and Maharashtra's tourism department have planned to include these two coal fields as part of a paid tour package of Nagpur and adjoining areas. As per the information, the paid guided tour of coal mines would last for about three hours. Accompanied by a company official, visitors will be given information about underground mining, opencast mining, mining gadgets and other operations of coal plants. This is expected to be highly successful as the coal fields are close to other tourist spots like the Pench Tiger Reserve, Totladoh Dam and Reservoir and several historic temples.

Apart from Maharashtra, the mineral eastern state of Jharkhand is also planning to undertake mine tourism.