Coal production at MCL’s Balram coal mines affected for 14 days

Bhubaneswar: Balram opencast project of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) completed two weeks of no production due to stalemate between Danara and Solada villages at Talcher coalfields in Angul district of Odisha.

Till now, 2.2 lakh tonne coal supply, around 1.8 lakh tonne coal production and more than 4 lakh cubic meter of overburden removal has been affected from Balram OCP due to the internal rift of two villages.

A series of initiatives taken by the civil administration and MCL management have failed to mend the differences between the villagers of Solada and Danara, who have forcibly stopped mining operations at Balram OCP.

While production from other coal mines have started picking up after rainy season, but the Balram OCP, having a target of six million tonne coal production for 2019-20, remained paralysed due to villagers’ internal rift.

The company hopes that an amicable solution to the impasse is reached so that further losses to various stakeholders, including the government exchequer, are arrested.