Bandh amplifies MCL’s Struggle to recovery from work disturbances

Sambalpur: Efforts of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) to overcome production loss of 4.867 million tonne in the current financial year due to disturbances in mining operations plummeted further with country-wide bandh as coal mining and supply operations remained totally paralysed in the company on Tuesday.

Coal production of MCL, which is currently going at an average of 4.65 lakh tonne a day, would plunge further down from its negative growth of 0.87 per cent to around 1.31 per cent during current fiscal due to the loss of working hours in various mines if the bandh continues for the rest of the day.

MCL had produced 101.575 million tonne till 07th of January 2019 against 102.465 produced during same period previous financial year.

Even the loaded rail rakes were stopped from moving out of the MCL’s coalfields today.

The work stoppages due disturbances in project areas of MCL, which contributes 25 per cent to the total production of Coal India, have been highest during the current financial year.

As per the records, the 10 million tonne annual capacity Kaniha project in Talcher coalfields remained the most affected mine with work stoppage for around seven weeks during first 3 quarters of financial year 2018-19, costing production loss of over 1.3 million tonne.

It was followed by Hingula mine of same production capacity which suffered production loss due to stoppages of about 37 working days during the current fiscal, amounting to loss of around 1.03 million tonne coal production.

At the end of 3rd quarter December 31, 2018, the 4 MT capacity Balram OCP remained paralysed up to 29 days, while stoppages of about 8 working days were witnessed at 27 MT Bhubaneswari OCP, over 9 working days at 16 MT Bharatpur OCP, over 8 working days at 16 MT Lingaraj OCP and around 6 working days at 6 MT Jagannath OCP.

Ananta OCP of 6 MT annual capacity was the only mine in Talcher coalfields which did not suffer any disturbance during first three quarters of financial year 2019, and continues to exceed its target.

Similarly, mines in Ib Valley coalfields also suffered loss of working overs, although not up to the extent of Talcher coalfields.

Major setback in Ib Valley coalfields was from the 21 MT capacity Lakhanpur OCP, which suffered the stoppage for more than a week up to the third quarter, resulting 0.4 million tonne less production.

Similarly, 13.7 MT Kulda OCP suffered working hour loss to the tune of more than five days, while its adjacent 2 MT Basundhara (West) suffered working hour loss of 14 days.

Having an ambitious target of 162.5 MT for the current fiscal, the company had planned for a record production of 100 MT from Talcher coalfields alone to achieve the target, with rest coming from mines in Ib Valley coalfields.