Coal supply at Talcher coalfields of MCL affected

Bhubaneswar:  The coal supply was affected at Talcher coalfields of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) in Angul district of Odisha.

At least 6,000-tonne coal supply and 5,000 cubic meter (CuM) of overburden removal (OBR) were affected due to two separate incidents of work disturbances since yesterday.

Overburden removal operations at Ananta OCP were affected last night after one Judhisthir Sahoo of Burdabanpur village unauthorisedly entered into the mine premises and forcibly damaged equipment to stop dewatering operations from the sump to the external mine area, said an MCL release.

Besides his reported involvement in the stone-pelting on vehicles at the mine this morning, Judhisthir Sahoo also kidnapped of two employees of MCL, identified as Artatrana Sahoo, and Dhirendra Behera, the release said.

The Project Officer, Ananta OCP, lodged an FIR in this regard at the local police station and safe release of the abducted employees could be secured at around 2:30 PM.

 The mining operations the Ananta OCP were normalised at 2:45 PM after the Sub Collector and the SDPO, Talcher intervened.

 Besides affecting the OB Removal to the tune of 5000 CuM, the stoppage of dewatering operations has also affected coal production operations at Ananta OCP.

The mine, which is targeted to produce 40000 tonne coal, is limited to produce around 30,000 only due to this obstruction in dewatering. 

 Earlier, some people obstructed coal transportation from 11 AM to 01 PM at Biswal Chhak near Dera village in Talcher yesterday, due to which the supply of about 6000 tonne coal from Bhubaneswari OCP was affected.

As coal supply at Talcher coalfields affected, the MCL incurred an estimated loss of Rs 2.4 crore.