Pijush Pal Roy

Biography

i)National Mineral Award-2005 in Mining Technology of the Ministry of Mines, GOI; ii) C.S.I.R. Young Scientist Award in Earth Sciences, 1989, MST, GOI; iii) C.S.I.R. Golden Jubilee First CMRI-Whittaker Award, 1993; iv) Hindustan Zinc Ltd. Medal of the Institution of Engineers (India), 1997 & 2012; v) C.S.I.R. Technology Award-2011 for Developing Highwall Mining Technology in India vi) Dhanbad Gaurav Sammaan-2011 by CSIR Pensioners’ Welfare Association; vii) Life-time Achievement Award-2014 of MEAI.

Research Interest

Pal Roy has made noteworthy contributions towards widening the horizons of geosciences and their applications. During his 30 years of stay at CSIR-CIMFR, he has worked in more than 300 mines and quarries and around 15 prestigious hydroelectric projects of the country as part of sponsored and consultancy projects. He has also worked in many S&T Projects funded by the Ministry of Coal, Ministry of Mines, Ministry of Environment and Forests and Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India. Dr. Pal Roy’s early research work (before joining to CSIR-CIMFR) was on the mechanics of thinly layered laminated materials and their dynamic characteristics under initial, couple and thermal stresses. He has made original contributions to the analysis of prestressed materials, in particular to those of finely layered media, using an interesting transformation. The study was jointly carried out by Dr. Pal Roy and Prof. Lokenath Debnath of the Central Florida University, USA. This particular study helped geoscientists in determining the propagation characteristics of laminated medium when subjected to dynamic loading. It also helped in the study of physical mine modelling. Since 1986, Dr. Pal Roy’s focus has been on rock blasting research including blasting mechanism, physical characteristics and innovative blast design models, cost optimization, safety and productivity. He has developed vibration predictor equation; burden&spacing equations; fragmentation analyzing scale; damage characteristics of surface structures and their evaluation; vibration, air-overpressure and human response standards, methodologies for best-use of nonelectric initiation systems; theory and principle of air-deck blasting; mathematical equations related to energy balance in rock blasting; use of additives (sawdust & rice-husk) in ANFO for cost-effective optimum blasting in limestone mines; techno-economic evaluation of drilling and blasting operations and ‘Guidelines for Controlled Blasting in UG and Opencast Mines in India’. Dr. Pal Roy’s research on the propagation, prediction and control of ground vibrations due to surface and underground blasting is well recognized. He has scientifically established the physical aspects of the problem and extensively experimented in different categories of mines under varying geo-mining conditions. Such studies are supported by huge experimental data and globally cited in different scientific forums and institutional research works. He has also scientifically analyzed drilling and blasting operations in opencast mines and developed a number of predictive models being used by mine managements in the country. Burden and Spacing formulae developed by Dr. Pal Roy are also used as efficient tools for optimization of blast patterns. On many occasions, CSIR-CIMFR scientists use them for blast design purposes in various industry-sponsored projects of the institute. He was instrumental in implementation of non-electric initiating devices (i.e. Shock-Tube Systems) in Surface and U/G mines for eco-friendly blasting operations in the country. The device is now widely used in almost 80% mines in India. The fragmentation analyzing scale developed by Dr. Pal Roy is being used in designing face orientation for newly developed mines and quarries. As an example, UCIL 5 | P a g e has used this technique for their Banduhurang Opencast Mines. He was a Co-Principal Investigator of the design of first Highwall Mining in India by CSIR-CIMFR, which has so far extracted 15 lakh ton of lost coal from 3 opencast mines. Dr. Pal Roy and his group have released one handy BG-Folder and ‘INCAB’ software (in JavaSwing language) for field use after extensive field investigations in Blasting Gallery (BG) panels pertaining to an S&T project sponsored by the Ministry of Coal, Govt. of India. In recognition of his work, he was advised by the Honourable former President of India Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, the then Scientific Advisor to the Defence Ministry to work with DRDO Scientists for the safety of Defence Ordnance Factory, Chanda due to nearby mining activities.