CIL's September Slump: Coal Production Dips Amidst Government Efforts

State-owned Coal India Limited (CIL) reported a 3.9% decrease in production to 48.97 million tonnes in September, as noted in a recent BSE filing. This decline occurs despite government initiatives to boost coal output and reduce fuel imports.

No specific reasons for this downturn were disclosed by CIL, but several subsidiaries, including Bharat Coking Coal Ltd, Central Coalfields Ltd, Western Coalfields Ltd, Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd, and North Eastern Coalfields, also experienced production drops last month.

Industry experts attribute the production fall to operational challenges posed by heavy rains and monsoon-induced waterlogging. The April-September production period saw a decrease to 329.14 million tonnes from the previous year's 341.35 million tonnes. CIL, which supplies over 80% of domestic coal, aims to ramp up production to 875 million tonnes by 2025-26, targeting a dispatch goal of 900 million tonnes to meet rising power demands.

(With inputs from agencies.)