Coal production witnesses 23% growth in last five years

India's coal production has registered a growth of about 23 per cent in last five years to 893.08 million tonnes (MT) in 2022-23.

"India's overall coal production has seen a quantum jump to 893.08 MT in FY 2022-23 as compared to 728.72 MT in FY 2018-2019 with a growth of about 22.6 per cent," the coal ministry said.

Overall coal production stood at 893.08 million tonnes in 2022-23 as compared to 778.19 in 2021-22, showing a growth of 14.78 percent. The government aims to enhance production to 1,012 million tonnes in the current fiscal.

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The Ministry of Coal has initiated several measures to ramp up the domestic coal production to achieve self-reliance to meet the demand of all sectors and ensure adequate coal stocks at thermal Power Plants. The exceptional growth in coal production has paved the way for energy security of the Nation. The annual Coal Production target set for the FY 2023- 2024 is 1012 million tonne, said the statement.

Ministry of Coal has also formulated a strategy to develop an integrated approach for eliminating road transportation of coal in mines and has taken steps to upgrade mechanized coal transportation and loading system under 'First Mile Connectivity' projects.

The Ministry is also promoting sustainable development in conjunction with coal production, by emphasizing on environmental protection, resource conservation, societal welfare, and measures to preserve our forests and biodiversity.

In the last five years, the production of Coal India Limited (CIL) has increased to 703.21 MT from 606.89 MT in FY19, registering a growth of 15.9 per cent.

While Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) has registered a growth of 4.3 per cent at 67.14 MT in FY23 compared to 64.40 MT in FY19.

Contribution from captive and other mines to the total coal output also increased to 122.72 MT in FY23, up 113.7 per cent from 57.43 MT in FY19.