The Hindu Business Line : Coal pilferages on the rise as shortages haunt power units

At a time when a coal crisis is walloping the country’s power sector, with over 50 of the 77 thermal stations in the country facing “critical” fuel stocks, coal is increasingly being siphoned out of mines.

Coal India Ltd (CIL) estimates that during the first five months of the current fiscal, over 11,500 tonnes of pilfered coal have been recovered by it in raids conducted across the country.

The recovered coal is, however, estimated to be just a fraction of what is stolen every year, which could well be over 10 times the recovered amount, according to official sources.

Production

Incidentally, coal production during the first six months of the current financial year was recorded at 205.97 million tonnes. “The amount of coal recovered by CIL in recent raids is just the tip of the iceberg. Coal is diverted from pithead depots and during transportation. Much of the pilferage happens well after all the hard working of mining is over and the coal is set to be transported to utilities,” a Government official involved in the exercise said.

According to information offered by CIL, based on raids conducted by the security personnel of coal firms as well as joint raids with the law and order authorities of state governments, the maximum amounts of pilferages are reported to be in the eastern subsidiaries of CIL, including at Eastern Coalfields Ltd, Asansol (ECL) and Bharat Coking Coal Ltd, Dhanbad (BCCL).

Preventing measures

Power major NTPC Ltd has already warned that acute paucity of coal is derailing operations at its power plants, with key thermal stations such as Talcher, Kahalgaon and Farakka reporting loss of generation on account of fuel shortages. Coal firms claim they are taking a lot of steps to prevent theft, including “collection of intelligence reports and installation of check posts.”

Measures on the anvil include escorting of loaded rakes up to railway weigh bridges by armed guards and joint patrolling with Railway Protection Force (RPF) in the railway tracks that are prone to looting.

“Going by the trend so far, there could be record recovery of coal this year, which points to record theft as well.

This is definitely bad news at a time with power utilities are faced with the biggest coal crunch in years,” an executive with a private power utility said.

Related Stories:
Minister pooh-poohs coal shortage complaints
Thermal units set to get less coal supplies

More Stories on : Economic Offences | Coal | Power

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page