Coal India (CIL) plans to incentivise underground mining and consider reopening six such closed mines as contribution from underground mines to total coal production has fallen to just 8 per cent. Contribution of underground mines in other major coal producing countries of China, USA and Australia are 95 per cent, 30 per cent and 25 per cent, respectively. In the beginning, CIL will assess various factors that are coming in the way of enhancing coal production from underground mines of different coal companies in Coal India. It will also study the available coal reserves suitable for underground mining in each coal subsidiary of the company. It will further assess the level of mechanisation of the underground mines and the trend in production from these mines.