Coal supply from Jharkhand mines resumes after 3 weeks

PATIALA: After a few days of halt in the supply of coal from Pachhwara coal mines in Jharkhand to the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL)-run power plants in Punjab, the supplies have now resumed.

Earlier on December 16, 2022, the operations from Pachhwara coal mines were resumed to supply coal to Punjab and chief minister Bhagwant Mann received the first coal rake in Ropar.

However, a week later, the supply was halted following some issue between the transporters in Jharkhand and the mining contractor. Confirming the development, PSPCL director (generation) Paramjeet Singh said the coal supply operations had resumed again.

Sources in the PSPCL said so far, 10 rakes of coal had been received by Punjab government-run power plants, including at Lehra Mohabbat and Ropar. They said operations were halted following an issue between the truck union that transports the coal from mines to railway station. However, the matter has now been resolved.

The government aims to extract 25 LMT of coal till March this year, whereas around 70 lakh MT of coal will be extracted annually. "Around 40,000 MT of coal has been received. The halt in supply of coal from Pachhwara mines was temporary and such teething troubles are common in big projects.

The mining has resumed at Pachhwara coal mines after remaining suspended for more than seven years as it remained caught in legal tangles. Despite all clearances from the Jharkhand government, the coal mafia emerged as a major hurdle, but later it was also resolved," said a PSPCL official on anonymity conditions.