KOLKATA (miningweekly.com) – Mounting protests over the death of four miners, paralysing production at one of the largest coal mines under Coal India Limited (CIL) in Odisha, has started taking a toll on power generation.

Hit by a coal shortage, the country’s largest power producer, NTPC, has been forced to progressively shut down three units at its 3 000 MW super thermal power plant since the protests over the death of the miners started to gather momentum, leading to a shortage of coal supplies from CIL mines.

Operations of the captive thermal power plants of National Aluminium Company Limited, which has alumina refining plants in Odisha, were also expected to be hit as it was dependent on coal supplies from the accident-hit CIL mine.

According to an official at Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), the wholly owned operational subsidiary of CIL mining the Talcher coalfields in Odisha, the company has not been able to produce any coal since the accident. MCL is one of the largest coal producing subsidiaries under CIL, accounting for about 13% of CIL’s total yearly coal production.

Officials estimated a cumulative loss of production since the protests started of about 842 000 t.

Significantly, the miners’ protest, including sit-ins at mining sites and strikes, is being led by political activists of the Bharatiya Janata Party, which heads the federal government in New Delhi.

Local administration officials said that rescue workers had recovered the bodies of three of the people killed in a deadly landslide at the opencast Talcher mines, while operations were ongoing to recover the body of the fourth miner killed in the accident.

The protesting workers and political leaders at the accident-hit mine are demanding a comprehensive safety audit of all mines operated by MCL, specific and mandatory safety guidelines and compensation for the dead miners. The protestors allege management negligence, resulting in ‘strata failure’, leading to the landslide that killed the four miners.

NTPC’s Kaniha super thermal power plant, which relies on dry fuel supplies from the Talcher mines, has not received any coal since July 25, forcing the power utility to shut down three generating units of the plant. Officials apprehend that unless the stoppage is resolved soon, more generating units might have to shut down over the next few days.

The average plant load factor at the 3 000 MW Kaniha plant is above 93%, but owing to the coal shortage, the plant is generating below 1 000 MW, according to officials.

CIL is making efforts to supply its bulk consumers from alternative neighbouring mines at Ib Valley, but officials say that it is challenging to link new mines to consumers in a short time.