Pandemic snips Coal India output

MUM BAI: Coal India (CIL) , which is already r eeling u nder the pandemic stress causing ad verse impa ct o n demand and supply of dry fuel, on F riday said the situa tion will r emain un certain in J uly-September as some states ar e resorting to fr esh lockdowns.

The miner pr oduced 18.05 million to nnes (MT ) of coal from July 1 to July 16 against 19.61 MT pr oduced in the same period last year.

The co al production in some of the major mines is still af fected due to high coal stock and less offtake. Pithead stock of CIL as o n July 16 is 72.88 MT as compared to 33.17 MT during the last year same period, it said.

However, with concentrated efforts, a g rowth of 16.7 per cent wa s registered in o verburden (OB) removal during July 1 to J uly l6 as compared to the same period last year.

Due to contin uing loc kdown and various guidelines issued b y centr al and s tate governments, nor malcy has not been restored yet, af fecting coal pr oduction and despatch, Coal India said in a filing to the BSE.

CIL pr oduced 51 .32 MT o f coal from March 15 to Mar ch 31. In view of f ast spr eading corona v i r us, the government had announced a nationwide lockdown f rom Mar ch 25, which was further extended in phases.

Despatch of coal was a dversely affected in th e last week of March resulting into mounting co al stoc k a t pithead. Coal stock as on March 31 wa s 74 .629 MT, compar ed to 54 .155 MT on M arch 31, 2019.

Restriction imposed o n movement of v ehicles badl y affected supply of explosives in the mines.

Further, disruption in movement affected availability of manpower, spares parts for hea vy ear th mo ving ma - chinery ( HEMM) w hich impacted the pr oduction a t the mines, it said.

Coal India had pr oduced 121.01 MT o f coal during April 1-June 30, com pared to 136.94 MT duri ng the same period last year.