New Delhi [India], September 5 (ANI): Coal India Ltd's production and coal movement are expected to gather pace in the coming days as the impact of heavy monsoon rains across its mining regions eases, with daily output already rising sharply, the Ministry of Coal said in a press release on Saturday.

Coal India's average daily production, which stood at around 1.36 million tonnes (MT) during the first three days of September amid rain-affected conditions, rose to approximately 1.7 MT on September 4, despite only a single day's respite from rainfall, the ministry said.

The improvement in mine conditions is also supporting overburden removal, an important indicator of future production readiness. Average daily overburden removal rose from 2.5 million cubic metres in the first three days of September to 4.1 million cubic metres on September 4, the ministry added.

Coal India supplied 322.90 MT during April-August of the current fiscal, up 6.7 per cent from 302.60 MT in the corresponding period last year. Supplies in August alone rose 5.5 per cent year-on-year to 60.60 MT, while supplies to the power sector increased 4.5 per cent to 48.46 MT.

The ministry said prolonged rainfall had affected mining conditions, with some coal beds becoming wet and sticky and lower mine horizons getting submerged. With conditions now drying, pumping operations are restoring affected areas, while internal haul roads are being repaired to facilitate coal movement.

Coal India currently has around 76 MT of coal stock at its pitheads, along with 46 MT of ready-to-mine coal exposure, providing a stock cushion as production and dispatch operations normalise, according to the ministry.

Dispatches to the power sector are also showing an improvement. Average daily dispatch stood at around 1.35 MT during the first three days of September and increased to 1.5 MT on September 4.

The ministry said Coal India subsidiaries are also strengthening coal evacuation through road and rail routes. Power plants with Fuel Supply Agreements can lift additional coal, including quantities above their applicable annual contracted quantities, through road mode in addition to existing rail supplies.

With drier conditions reducing mining and safety-related constraints, the ministry expects production, loading and transportation to improve further in the coming days. (ANI)