Coal output down 2.5% at 192 mn tonne in Apr-Aug

The country's coal production declined by about 2.5% to 192 million tonne in the first five months of this fiscal over the year-ago period, mainly on account of less output by Coal India (CIL).

The coal output in the first five months of 2010-11 was at 197 million tonne, an official said.

CIL which accounts for more than 85% of domestic production, registered about 2.6% decline in output to 152.4 million tonne in April-August 2011.

The Maharatna firm had produced 156.6 million tonne of coal in the first five months of the last fiscal.

CIL's production in August stood at only 25 million tonne as against 30.8 million tonne in the same month last fiscal.

However, state-owned Singareni Collieries Company's output registered an increase of 2.6% in the period to 19.4 million tonne against 18.9 million tonne of the fossil fuel in the same period of 2010-11.

Production from other sources stood at 19.4 million tonne.

Country's coal production target for the current fiscal is 554 million tonne, including 452 million tonne by CIL. Earlier, the country's target for the fiscal was fixed at 680 million tonne, which was lowered to 630 million tonne in a mid-term appraisal by the Planning Commission. It has now been revised further downward to 554 million tonne.

Earlier, Coal India Chairman NC Jha had blamed early rains and inclement weather in the eastern region for playing spoilsport for less production.

However, Jha had exuded confidence that the coal firm would achieve the target for the current fiscal.

Coal India is facing delays in environment clearances to its over 150 projects. It had also missed last fiscal's production target and had recorded 431.325 million tonne output against revised target of 440.20 million tonne.