Discovery kicks off 'Coal' on 9 September

 
MUMBAI: Infotainment channel Discovery Channel will kick off on 9 September a ten-part series of ?Coal? every Sunday at 7 pm.

The show will go underground to explore the workings of a modern coalmine and meet the people who undertake the potentially lethal, complex task of extracting this vital natural resource.

Every aspect of the job will be covered, from the dangers behind the super-charged explosions needed to open surface mines, to the well-publicised daily dangers of working in the dark recesses of the earth?s crust in a traditional shaft mine.

Discovery South Asia senior VP, GM Rahul Johri said, "Discovery Channel?s series ?Coal? will explore the daily lives and the communities spawned by an industry that?s been around for centuries."

The miners work long shifts, often hunched over - the size of the mine limited to the size of the coal seam, some as small as 32 inches. Men toil in cramped spaces doing a job their fathers and grandfathers did before them. At any moment a pillar could collapse, the makeshift roof could cave-in, or trapped methane gas could cause an explosion killing everyone in the mine.

Each episode will feature different members of the crew. From the workers at the mine, to the shift bosses who oversee the whole operation, the series will focus on both their work and personal lives. The series will delve into the lives of workers - the mine operators, who do the actual drilling; the roof bolters, who reinforce the ?top? after each cutting away of the coal; the buggy runners, who haul away the load; and the scoopers, who pick up the excess.

The programme will also feature some of the first coalmines that existed in the 1800s, towns sprung up and thrived creating a culture of coalminers that still exists today.