India imported 235.2 million tonne (MT) of coal in 2018-19 valued at Rs 1.7 lakh crore, Parliament was informed today.
During 2017-18, the country imported 208.2 MT of the dry fuel valued at Rs 1.3 lakh crore, Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi said in a written reply to Lok Sabha.
In 2016-17, the minister said, India imported 190.9 MT of coal valued at Rs 1 lakh crore, the minister said.
Joshi further said "despite the efforts made by coal sector, the country is not self sufficient because there is limited availability of coking coal in the country, which is an essential input for steel making."
Further, power plants designed on low ash imported coal will also continue to import coal for their requirements, he said.
The total estimated coal resources in the country is 319.02 billion tonne. Every year about 3-5 billion tonne of proved resources were being added through fresh exploration of the coal inventory in India.
If present rate of extraction prevails in the country, coal would last for several decades, he added.
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