Work in Talcher coalfields paralysed for 6th consecutive day

Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) said work at its Talcher Coalfields in Angul district remained paralysed for the sixth consecutive day on Monday affecting supply to coal to power plants in the country.

Coal production in Talcher coalfields has come to a grinding halt from Wednesday (July 24) evening after an accident at Bharatpur Open Cast Project, MCL Spokesperson said in a statement.

Talcher coalfields on an average produces 2.1 lakh tonne of coal per day.

Four workers were killed and nine others injured in the mishap at Bharatpur mine on July 23 night, triggering protest by political parties and others who blamed the company for the mishap and demanded a compensation of Rs 50 lakh for families of each deceased.

The agitation stalled coal production in all mines of Talcher Coalfields, said an official.

The company has not been able to produce or dispatch coal due to forced closure of mines. Not a single cubic meter of overburden has been removed during these days, forcing mining equipment catching rust, the MCL Spokesperson said.

The quantum loss to the company due to operational stoppage for the last five days has been estimated at Rs 85.68 crore while total loss to the state and central exchequer is estimated to be around Rs 55.46 crore, he claimed.

This stoppage of work in Talcher coalfields has resulted in an estimated power generation loss to the tune of 1339.42 million units, he said.

Power generation in NTPC Kaniha, which takes coal from Talcher Coalfields, has reportedly been affected, whereas NALCO is also facing fuel crisis at its plant, he claimed.

While MCL is diverting two rakes of coal from Ib Valley Coalfields to NTPC, Kaniha to save it from further crisis, efforts have also been made to divert one rake coal from Basundhra Area under Ib Valley Coalfields to NALCO, for which the aluminum company has been requested to arrange the rake from the railways, the Spokesperson said.

MCL has suspended a senior manager for his alleged negligence that led to the accident in Bharatpur mine.