MCL inaugurates Balram Railway Siding in Talcher

Talcher: Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) today inaugurated a new Railway Siding at Talcher Coalfields in Odisha, which would help enhance coal despatch capacity of the company by about four million tonne per annum.

Vismita Tej, Joint Secretary to Government of India, Ministry of Coal inaugurated Balram Railway Siding at Hingula Area in Talcher Coalfields by flagging off a coal-carrying rake from the Railway Siding.

This 10th Railway Siding in Talcher coalfields will help enhance coal despatch to the consumers by four million tonne in a year.

Ms Tej, who was on an official visit to Talcher coalfields, also reviewed coal despatch through SILO, a First Mile Connectivity (FMC) project, at the Bharatpur Area.

MCL is committed to provide clean coal with minimum impact of environment. In this regard, the company is implementing nine First Mile Connectivity projects to provide pollution-free state-of-the-art rake loading system at a total expenditure of Rs 3,600 Crore. This will generate a capacity of 126 MT/Yr.

Tej also visited Kaniha open cast mine to inspect the mining operations.

Baban Singh, Director (Technical/Projects & Planning), MCL and Mukesh Choudhary, Director, Ministry of Coal, accompanied the Joint Secretary during her visit to Talcher coalfields.

MCL had surpassed all its previous records by achieving the highest ever production of 148.01 million tonne (MT) and the highest ever coal despatch of 146 MT with a record over-burden removal of 174.5 million cubic meters (MCuM) setting a strong foundation for making Coal India achieve target of one billion production by 2024.

Besides ensuring energy security to the nation, the company is actively contributing with the state government in fight against COVID19 pandemic.

MCL enjoys being the top company in Odisha contributing under CSR. In the year ended March 31, 2021, the company had spent Rs 193 crore under CSR, achieving 14.5 % growth over its target of Rs 168.44 crore for Financial Year 2020-21.