Infrastructure constraints at the Talcher coalfield under the command area of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) have hit evacuation and supplies of coal.
Millions of tonnes of coal stocked at various pit heads could not be evacuated despite the best efforts of the company due to poor and narrow roads which have not been renovated for years, said sources. MCL had recently invited expression of interest for transporting 16.5 million tonnes of stocked coal from its different mines to the railway sidings
“The internal roads are in a very bad shape and not suitable for 4000 transport vehicles to ply on them. The road linking Hingula mines under MCL to the railway siding has worsened even though the coal output of the mine has gone up from 5,000 tonnes per day to 40,000 tonnes per day over the years”, added sources.
Sources further said the coal production has doubled and profits have tripled since 2001-02, but hardly any attention is being given to step up infrastructure in tune with the rising production.
MCL authorities stated that the company is focusing on upgradation of infrastructure facilities to augment coal transportation from the mines to the railway sidings.
“MCL has initiated a move to spend Rs 194 crore on infrastructural development in the Talcher and Ib valley coalfields besides executing infrastructure upgradation work worth Rs 17 crore at the Hingula mines. Experts from IIT-Kharagpur have been asked to submit a detailed project report on the ways to make the road network at the Talcher and Ib valley coalfields concrete and sustainable”, said a company source.
