Poor infra, slow green certificate harming coal output: Jaiswal

India’s coal produce is dwindling because of slow environmental clearance, inadequate transport facilities and land acquisition problems, Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal said today in New Delhi.

“Both public and private companies have been suffering due to delays in obtaining environmental and forestry clearances in addition to the problems in land acquisition,” Jaiswal said while speaking at the 3rd Annual International Summit Coal Asia 2012.[caption id=“attachment_228377” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Worried over energy. Image courtesy PIB”] [/caption]

Expressing concern over the increasing demand and supply gap, the minister said, “The gap in demand and domestic supply of coal has increased from about 50 million tonnes in 2007-08 to 83 million tonnes in 2010-11. Gap in the current year was envisaged to be 142 million tonnes.”

Jaiswal said not opening the coal sector in the early 90s was a missed opportunity to meet the country’s energy needs and Coal India is facing difficulty in supply.

“Coal India Ltd. has its own limitations in augmenting production and satisfying the consumers as per the projected demand. Even the policy of captive mining has not helped the sector to the desired extent,” he said.

“Only 29 blocks have entered in to coal production out of the 195 blocks allotted to various public and private companies. The production capacity of 126 blocks whose mining plans were approved earlier was more than 400 million tonnes and the actual contribution is merely about 8 percent only,” the minister said.