Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), which was projected to be the highest coal producer among all the subsidiaries of Coal India Limited (CIL) in 2009-10, faces a daunting task of meeting its coal output target of 115 million tonnes for the current fiscal. During the April-November period of this fiscal, MCL has been able to produce only 58.57 million tonnes (mnt) which is around 50 per cent of its targeted production. This is a growth of 9.26 per cent over 53.53 mnt achieved in the corresponding period of 2008-09.
MCL now faces the formidable challenge of producing more than 56 mnt of coal in the balance four months of the fiscal to meet the target.
Meeting the production target is a gigantic task for MCL as the company is facing recurrent trouble by the locals at its Talcher coalfields, admitted a company official.
Except Basundhara, Kulda, Lilari and Belpahara, no other open cast coal mine of MCL achieved its target even though most of them registered positive growth during the April-November period of the current fiscal.
According to MCL sources, Talcher Coalfields produced 33.37 mnt of coal during the said period as against the target of 38.64 mnt. According to the MCL officials, the coal output fell short of the target due to frequent disruption in work at the coalfields and slow pace of running of contractual vehicles.
