It seems the long-continuing mismatch of statements by the top brasses in NTPC Kaniha unit in Talcher and Mahanadi Coalfields limited (MCl) is only creating confusion rather than any solution to the coal crisis hitting the public sector thermal power producing unit of 3,000 MW.
Of late, the plant has faced a similar crisis and consequently has phased out one unit of 500 MW resulting in a glaring slash in its output. Notably, the NTPC Kaniha unit supplies power to 15 States, mostly in the south and north east parts of the country. Any breakdown in the plant leads to severe power crisis in the States, often plunging them into darkness.
The NTPC has been allotted lingaraj coal mine in Talcher as its captive mine by the MCl to source its raw material. The plant requires 55,000 tonnes of coal to run all its six units daily. The coal is supplied to the plant through its merry-go-round (MGR) system. Sources said if the present crisis continues, the plant may as well have to go for the termination of one or two more units. In the last couple of days, the production in the plant has been slashed to 1,800-1,400 MW as the coal supply got reduced to almost half of its daily quantum of requirement.
This time, the NTPC authorities have stated that MCl has failed to supply the coal as per their agreement with the coal major, while the MCl top brasses have come out with a new complaint that huge sum of Rs 200 crore has been outstanding with the NTPC, a reason why the supply was cut off. But NTPC executive director VB Fadnavis clarified that the plant was yet to verify if the outstanding amount had gone up to a whopping Rs 200 crore. He, on the contrary, countered that MCl had been supplying low grade coal and assured that the NTPC would take up the matter with the MCl soon to settle the issue.
Going by the past records, one can hardly brush aside the fact that the MCl-NTPC row over coal has been continuing since long. The allegation by the NTPC has been centered sometime on short supply, while some other time on low grade coal. But the MCl has all the time rubbished the allegations saying that it never had shortage of coal so far as NTPC is concerned. It has enough stock at its stockyard of the lingaraj mine allotted to the NTPC, while it is the latter which for different reasons had not been able to source the coal to its plant site.
lingaraj coal mine like other mines of the MCl in Talcher has been a victim of continuous workers’ agitation leading to a termination of its production. The MCl, despite claiming to have done enough, has serious loopholes in implementation of its R& R policy and CSR works, apart from providing suitable work environment to the workers. This causes agitation most often either by the workers or the landoustees. Similarly due to stand-offs between the MCl authorities and the villagers, the expansion of the mines to new areas has come a cropper.
When production is stopped or goes less, it affects badly the operation of the dependant plants. So NTPC has had to bear the brunt of it several times. Similarly, at the same time, NTPC too had several lacunas in lifting the coal off to its stockyard from the railway siding of the lingaraj mine. Be that as it may, the observers have strongly felt an urgent need to settle the lingering dispute between the two Central PSUs and smooth-sailing of the affairs.