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Coal transportation through the non-MGR (merry-go-round) route to the Vindhyachal super thermal power plant of the National Thermal Power Corporation has suffered a setback. Reason: The diesel locos with the Railway zones concerned are just not available with the result the haulage of the coal rakes from the mines to the plant has been hit.

The problem is being tackled, not very satisfactorily though, by stepping up offtake through the MGR route but it being a temporary measure cannot be sustained, it is felt. The plant authorities are worried especially because this is also the time to build stocks for the monsoon months when both coal production and transportation get hit due to the flooding of mines and breaches of rail tracks.

Vindhyachal's requirement of nearly 45,000 tonnes of coal a day is met largely — 80-85 per cent — by the MGR route and the balance by way of wagon movement from the mines of Central Coalfields Limited and even far off Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd. Such a long-haul movement adds to the cost but cannot be helped. The projected new mines in the nearby areas under the Northern Coalfields Ltd could not be opened due to problems over land acquisition.

More Stories on : Railways | Power | Coal

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