The Centre stepped up coal movement to thermal power plants after inventories at generating stations came under pressure following rain-related disruptions to mining and transport. Railway rake loading rose 20 per cent over four days to 444 rakes on September 6 from 370 on September 3, and overall coal inventories at generating stations fell to 46 per cent of normative requirements from 49 per cent at the start of the month.

The number of thermal power plants with critical coal stocks rose to 58 on September 6 from 45 at the start of the month, prompting intensified supplies and close monitoring by the ministry of coal. Plants with inventories below 25 per cent of their normative requirement are treated as critical, and some stations were left with coal sufficient for less than three days of generation.

Heavy rainfall in key coal producing states affected mining operations and slowed deliveries, but production and dispatches began to recover as conditions stabilised. Coal India Limited (CIL) reported average daily production rising 35 per cent to around 1.83 mn t on September 6 from about 1.36 mn t during the first three rain-affected days, while Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL) output increased roughly 61 per cent to 0.29 mn t and South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) output rose 33 per cent to 0.20 mn t.

The recovery translated into higher supplies to generators, with CIL’s average daily dispatch to the power sector up 24 per cent to 1.7 mn t on September 6. Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) registered the sharpest single-day improvement in rail movement, adding 12 rakes to reach 111 rakes, while captive block loading, Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) and several other subsidiaries also increased loading. Total CIL siding loading rose by 26 rakes to 305 rakes on September 6.

Mining readiness improved as weather stabilised, with CIL’s average daily overburden removal more than doubling to 5.1 mn cubic metres from 2.5 mn cubic metres during the first three days of the month. CIL redeployed resources to accelerate removal, dewater lower seams and restore rain-affected haul roads, and is offering coal beyond scheduled quantities while prioritising road deliveries for critical plants, noting that CIL holds around 76 mn t at pitheads and that coal accounts for about three-fourths of India’s electricity generation.