Coal India Ltd and its subsidiaries
are currently
exploring several coal
blocks in various states
and after the completion of
exploration from time to time,
about 22.4 billion tonnes of coal
resources will be upgraded to
"proved" category.
Stating this in the Lok Sabha
recently, Union Minister of State
for Coal Sriprakash Jaiswal said
that, as per the mid-term
appraisal carried out by the
Planning Commission, the total
demand for coal in the terminal
year of the ongoing 11th Five-
Year Plan period was estimated
at 713.24 million tonnes while
the supply and production was
assessed at 600.02 million
tonnes. The estimated gap of
113.22 million tonnes was proposed
to be met through imports.
The government has taken various
measures to increase coal
production and meet the growing
demand. These are:
- CIL has been asked to
increase production from
existing mines and expedite
production from new coal
projects.
- 208 coal blocks have been
allotted to different consumers.
State and Central
government companies are
being allotted coal mining
blocks without restriction on
captive mining.
- Exploration of new coal blocks
has been expedited.
- Procedure for project
approvals has been streamlined.
- Mechanisation and modernisation
of existing mines.
- Improvement in equipment
utilisation.
- Increasing productivity in
underground and opencast
mines.
- Timely implementation of
projects.
- Exploration capacity of Central
Mine Planning & Design
Institute Ltd is being
increased from existing 2 lakh
metres per annum to 4 lakh
metres per annum of drilling
by end of the 11th Plan.
All these measures are expected
to boost demand for high-end and
advanced mining equipment.
63 coal mining projects awaiting eco-clearance |
| As many as 63 coal mining projects are currently awaiting environment clearances. The potential in the main coal producing states and the current level of production is given below: |
State |
Proved Reserves |
Actual Production in 2009-10 |
|
(million tonnes) |
(million tonnes) |
| Jharkhand |
39,633 |
105.93 |
| West Bengal |
11,752 |
23.13 |
| Orissa |
21,507 |
106.41 |
| Uttar Pradesh |
866 |
13.97 |
| Madhya Pradesh |
8,505 |
74.07 |
| Chhattisgarh |
12,44 |
110.00 |
| Maharashtra |
5,360 |
41.01 |
| Assam |
348 |
1.11 |
| Andhra Pradesh |
9,257 |
50.43 |