Shipment of coal may bring relief

HYDERABAD: Here’s some good news for denizens of the state who are suffering due to power cuts. A consignment of 1.5 lakh metric tonnes of imported coal has arrived at Kakinada on Friday night and is likely to be supplied to meet the requirement of major thermal power stations across the state. Though officials have admitted that the imported coal will provide huge relief for power generation companies, they are yet to devise a strategy for transporting the coal to thermal power plants in Telangana.According to officials in the Energy department, the government had recently placed an order for 10 lakh MT of coal from abroad. The consignment that has arrived is the first of its batch.The newly arrived coal will be supplied to major thermal power station over the next 48 hours. But while the coal supply to thermal power stations in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema will be an easy task, officials feel it would not be too easy to take the coal to NTPC-Ramagundam and Kakatiya Thermal Power Plant in Telangana region as the protestors have been obstructing coal supplies from Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) which are nearer to the power stations. The proposed railroko from October 12 to 14 is also likely to prove a hurdle.The thermal power stations require about 70,000 to 80,000 MT per day for operating at their full capacity. But officials are confident of using the 1.5 lakh MT coal for at least three-four days as they are also getting power from other states and the central grid. Currently, the SCCL is producing about 40,000 MT per day as against the production of 1.6 lakh MT from all its mines. Officials said that coal mines in Manuguru, Illendu and Kothagudem of Khammam districts are being run with about 9,000 workers to produce the said coal.Meanwhile, chief secretary Pankaj Dwivedi who reviewed the latest situation due to strike, asked the AP Genco officials to ensure maximum possible power generation by ensuring coal stocks from all available sources including the assurances given by the secretary, Coal Ministry at the Centre.