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Coal shortage: Production up by 23.2%; only non-priority trains cancelled
The coal stock at Good Shed sidings, washery sidings and port is about 4.7 MT and is ready to be moved to power plants immediately, an official said.
As several states are facing an acute power shortage amid the coal crisis and the Indian Railways has decided to cancel some passenger trains to speed up the movement of coal rakes to power plants, government officials said train cancellation has been done in non-priority sectors and only in less-busy routes to ensure coal movement and faster turnaround. The Indian Railways decided to cancel 657 train trips, including 509 mail/express trains and 148 MEMU services.
A total of 533 coal rakes were put on duty, said a railway official. For the power sector, 427 rakes were loaded yesterday and 1.62 million tonnes of coal was loaded for the power sector. "The cancellation of trains is an interim measure. We are reviewing the situation on daily basis," an official said.
Amid power crisis, boiling heat, it's Centre vs Delhi on coal supply
"Coal production by CIL has increased by 27.2% in April 2022 as compared to same period of last year and coal despatch has increased by 5.8%. The coal stock at CIL is 56.7 Mt and that at SCCL is 4.3 MT and at captive coal blocks is about 2.3 MT. Thus, sufficient coal stock with coal companies is available," an official said.
The coal stock at Good Shed sidings, washery sidings and port is about 4.7 MT and is ready to be moved to power plants immediately. Apart from this, around 2 MT coal stock is also available at the CIL sidings. Indian Railways is fully geared to move this stock to power gencos across the country. It is increasing rakes' availability.
The Delhi government on Friday said the situation is serious as many power plants are left wirh only one day's stock of coal. Warning of a possible supply disruption in the national capital, Delhi power minister Satyendar Jain on Friday said tthe main reason for the huge shortage of coal was the lack of adequate number of rakes. The National Thermal Power Corporation(NTPC), in reply to the Delhi government's claims of shortage of coal at its plants, said in a tweet that currently Unchahar and Dadri power stations, supplying power to the national capital, are running at full capacity and receiving "regular" coal supplies.
