MCL coal inventory piles up on rake shortfall

Even as the power stations across the country face acute shortage of coal, Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL), a subsidiary of Coal India Ltd (CIL) and major producer of power grade coal, is facing an uphill task to liquidate its stock that has climbed 68 per cent within a month owing to paucity of rakes.

Coal stock at the railway sidings has climbed from 322,000 tonnes (as on June 1) to 507,000 tonnes on July 1. Though all efforts were made by MCL authorities to transport coal from pit-head to railway sidings, movement of the raw material to linked consumers in power sector was hampered due to unavailability of rakes. The average rake availability for June stood at 25.4 rakes per day against the requirement of 35 rakes per day. “The shortage of rakes has led to accumulation of coal stock. It has also hit supplies to our linked power stations where coal stock has reached a critical stock,” said an MCL official. “The company has requested the Railway authorities for immediately placing sufficient rakes so that coal stock levels at the power stations are restored to normal levels,” he added.