Now Reading: Rain hits coal mining, threatens Karnataka power supply
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Rain hits coal mining, threatens Karnataka power supply
Heavy rain in coal mining regions of Telangana and Maharashtra has disrupted coal supplies to Karnataka’s thermal power plants, just as the state faces near summer-like electricity demand of 300 million units…
The Story in Brief
Heavy rain in coal mining regions of Telangana and Maharashtra has disrupted coal supplies to Karnataka’s thermal power plants, just as the state faces near summer-like electricity demand of 300 million units daily. Coal rake arrivals have dropped from 11 to five or six per day, according to KPCL officials. In Andhra Pradesh’s coal belt, Singareni Collieries reported a production loss of 40,000 tonnes over two days as five opencast projects were halted by slush.
Karnataka’s three thermal stations are generating 105 MU daily, with solar contributing 34 MU and wind 40 MU. The state gets 72 MU from the central grid and 23 MU from Udupi Power Corporation. KPCL managing director Rajendra Cholan said coal stocks are sufficient and blending with existing stock will ensure uninterrupted generation. One unit of Yermarus station is under annual maintenance and will resume soon.
The Indian Opinion
The usual alarmist narrative about Karnataka’s power crisis misses the real story. Both KPCL and SCCL say coal stocks are adequate and blending is routine. The scare comes from a sharp drop in daily coal rakes arriving, from 11 to about five or six. But demand remains near summer levels because of delayed monsoon. The concrete test is simple: will rake arrivals return to double digits within a week once rains recede in Telangana and Maharashtra? If they do, this is a logistical blip, not a crisis.
Sources (2): timesofindia.indiatimes.com, thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
