In a historic first, the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) has recruited women as earthmover personnel (EP) operators in its opencast coal mines. This follows the company's earlier decision to recruit women for underground mining roles, marking a significant step toward increasing women's participation in one of the most physically demanding industries.
Training and Recruitment
The coal company has recruited 13 women operators who underwent specialized training at the Telangana Institute of Driving Education and Skills in Sircilla to handle heavy goods vehicles and heavy motor vehicles. After completing a month-long training program, they obtained heavy vehicle driving licenses from the Road Transport Authority (RTA), a mandatory requirement for operating the massive dumpers used in coal transportation.
Role and Responsibilities
SCCL employs hundreds of EP operators responsible for transporting coal from mine quarries to crushers and dispatch points before it is sent to thermal power stations. Traditionally, the work has been viewed as highly labor-intensive and almost exclusively male-dominated due to the difficult terrain and demanding working conditions. The recruitment process began in September 2025, and after several stages of selection and training, the 13 women successfully completed the program in April. They are expected to be posted across various opencast mines operated by the company.
Challenging Work Environment
“The role requires considerable technical skill, patience, and physical endurance. Unlike ordinary heavy vehicles that transport around 60 tonnes, the dumpers used in Singareni mines carry nearly 100 tonnes of coal at a time. Operators must maneuver these vehicles across uneven kacha roads, steep gradients, and rugged quarry routes rather than smooth highways, often in extremely hot weather conditions,” a senior SCCL official said.
Given the physically demanding nature of the work, SCCL conducted physical fitness tests and driving assessments for all applicants, both men and women, before finalizing the selections. Many of the successful women candidates reportedly applied out of personal interest and determination, while several also come from families already employed with SCCL.
Recruit's Perspective
One of the recruits, Sirisha Maduranayagam, said she chose the profession out of passion. “I completed my MA in Sociology. My father is an ex-Army personnel and is currently working with SCCL as a security guard. I joined because I wanted to operate earthmovers,” she told TOI.
Sirisha recalled that when SCCL issued a notification to recruit general assistants and Badili workers, who are later posted as dumper operators, she and a few other women approached the then SCCL chairman and managing director, Balaram, requesting that women also be considered for the posts. Following this, the management directed officials to include women candidates in the recruitment process.
Eligibility and Selection Process
The eligibility criteria for the post included being below 35 years of age, having passed at least Class 7, being physically fit, and possessing either a two-wheeler or four-wheeler driving license. R Vijaya Prasad, general manager (HRD) of SCCL, told TOI that around 60 women initially applied for the posts, of whom 35 were shortlisted for training at the Sircilla institute. However, some candidates withdrew during the program, leaving 13 women who successfully completed the training and secured heavy vehicle licenses from the RTA.
He added that the selected candidates would undergo another round of rigorous internal training and evaluations before formally joining duties in various opencast mining projects.
