Import of Coal

India has adequate coal reserves for meeting its coal requirements. The total coal reserves as on 1st April 2014 was 301.56 Billion Tonnes (BT) of which 125.91 BT is in the proved category and balance is indicated and inferred categories. At the present juncture, the actual production of coal however falls short of the overall demand for coal. This was stated by Sh. Piyush Goyal, (Minister of state (IC) for Power, Coal & New and Renewable Energy in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today. Accordingly, the gap between total consumption and domestic supply is being met through import of coal. The domestic production of coal has been constrained due to problems in expanding the capacity arising from difficulties in land acquisition, R&R, geo-mining conditions, difficulties in obtaining environment clearance, restrictions arising out of imposition of Central Environmental Pollution Index guidelines and non-availability of forest clearances in time. Law and order condition in some areas and lack of adequate infrastructure for evacuation of coal including delay in construction of rail Infrastructure have also been constraining factor in some major coalfields.