Work at Talcher Coalfields of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) remained paralysed on consecutive sixth day today, affecting severely fuel supply to coal-fired power plants in the country.
Talcher coalfields, producing in an average of 2.1 lakh tonne coal per day, came to grinding halt from evening of July 24 last after Bharatpur Open Cast Project (OCP) accident in which four workers were buried alive. The company has not been able to produce or dispatch coal due to forced closure of mines, MCL sources said.
Not even a single cubic meter of overburden has been removed during all these days, forcing mining equipment catching rust. The quantum loss to the company due to operational stoppage for the last five days has been estimated at Rs. 85.68 crore while total loss to the State & Central Exchequer is estimated to be around Rs 55.46 crore.
This stoppage of work in Talcher coalfields has resulted in an estimated power generation loss to the tune of 1339.42 million units. The NTPC Kaniha, which takes coal from Talcher Coalfields, has reportedly shut two of its units, whereas NALCO is also facing fuel crisis at its plant.
While MCL is diverting two rakes of coal from Ib Valley Coalfields to NTPC, Kaniha to save it from further crisis, efforts have also been made to divert one rake coal from Basundhra Area under Ib Valley Coalfields to NALCO, for which the aluminum company has been requested to arrange the rake from Railways.
