Coal India (CIL) reported a 3.9 per cent decline in coal production in September, reaching 48.97 million tonnes (MT) compared with 50.94 MT in the same month last year, according to a filing with the BSE.

The fall in output is attributed to heavy monsoon rains and waterlogging, which created operational challenges across mining units, though the company did not specify official reasons. Subsidiaries impacted include Bharat Coking Coal (BCCL), Central Coalfields (CCL), Western Coalfields (WCL), Mahanadi Coalfields (MCL), and North Eastern Coalfields (NEC).

Coal production for the April–September period also declined to 329.14 MT, down from 341.35 MT in the year-ago period. CIL remains the dominant player in India’s coal sector, accounting for over 80 per cent of domestic production.

Despite the slowdown, CIL has set ambitious targets for 2025–26, aiming for 875 MT in production and 900 MT in dispatches to meet rising power demand and reduce reliance on imported coal. 

News source: Business Standard