Coal Production In India Current Affairs And History

COAL PRODUCTION IN INDIA-(Current Affairs – 22 Feb 2018)

Estimated reserves of coal in India is 300 billion tonnes, west Bengal Orissa Jharkhand Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh are the major coal-producing states of the country.
Public sector company Coal India has about 80% stake in coal production,
The biggest impact of opening doors for the private sector will be on Coal India business and its monopoly.

NEW RULES FOR COAL MINING

Mining opportunities for domestic and foreign mining companies can also increase the earnings of the government, but private companies buying coal at a higher rate when they add their profits, then coal can be expensive in the market.It may have an impact on energy production and industrial production costs.

However, due to increased production, availability of coal, the prices of coal can remain stable. Due to the acquisition of mining rights to the private sector, the quality of coal can be increased and reduction in imports.

Local industrial units will also get the benefit of making coal availability, but the government will have to ensure that this business is not concentrated in some private hands, Do not negate the new rules inclined in favour of big businessmen;

Otherwise, coal mining and the new policy will not be profitable for the common people.

USE OF COAL IN INDIA

According to the 2017 Statistics Report, more than 61 percent of the electricity is based on coal, about 7 percent of steel and national production is coal-based, while about 2 percent of the products like cement, paper, textile and sponge iron is coal-based. Clearly, coal is the biggest fuel source of electricity generation.

COAL-BASED ELECTRICITY PRODUCTION IN INDIA-

Production of coal-based electricity has increased rapidly in the country after six decades of independence, against 756 MW of 1947, it had reached 153571 MW in 2014, but it is still not enough in terms of the country’s fast-growing population and resistance to hydro and nuclear power plants is not hidden from anyone in India.

On the other hand, official figures suggest that there is a long way to go in the full fil government dream to provide electricity to the whole India, according to government estimates, 40000000 households are deprived of electricity, in which more than 50 percent of households are from states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

HISTORY OF COAL MINING IN INDIA-

Raniganj Coalfield of West Bengal is not a common mining centre, this entire region is the birthplace of coal production in the country, coal mine has started for the first time in the country at around 244 years ago. For the first time in 1774 coal was excavated in Raniganj Coalfield which is situated on the west bank of Damodar river.

COAL PRODUCTION HISTORY IN INDIA

Coal production started, but for nearly a century, the development of Indian coal mining led to a recession due to lack of demand, but in 1853, the steam-laden train gave a boost in coal production.

COAL MINING COMPIES NAME IN HISTORY
MASERS ALEXZANDER COAL MINING COMPANY
MASERS CAR COAL MINING COMPANY
TAGOR COMPANY COAL MINING COMPANY

Before independence, in 1900 annual production of coal in the country was 6.12 metric tons per year, By 1920, 18 metric tons were made annually, there was a sudden increase in production of coal at the time of World War I but at the beginning of the decade, it came down again.

In 1942, annual production reached 29 metric tons and 1946 to 30 metric tonnes. When the country became free, the five-year development plan started as the roadmap of development, the annual production of coal increased to 33 metric tonnes.

NATIONALISATION OF COAL COMPANY IN INDIA

The process of nationalization was carried out in two phases in 1971-72 in the first phase of coking coal mines and in 1973 non-coking coal mines were nationalized.

THE AMOUNT OF COAL IN THE WORLD-

Coal is the most important source of energy in the whole world, 40% of the world’s electricity is produced through coal. Coal is a major source of primary energy due to its low cost and availability in large quantities throughout the world, the reserves of coal in the world is about 896 billion tons.

Only Top 10 countries are producing around 90% of total coal in the world. China has been the biggest producer of coal for the last three decades.

LARGEST COAL PRODUCERS IN 2016

China – 3242.5 metric tonnes
India – 707.6 metric tonnes
America – 671.8 metric tonnes
Australia – 503.3 metric tonnes
Indonesia – 460.5 metric tonnes

According to the International Energy Agency, China produced about 3224.5 metric tons of coal in 2016, while India produced a total of 707.6 metric tonnes of coal in any year, the US produced 671.8 tonnes of coal in 2016 and Australia 503.3 metric tonnes and Indonesia produced 460.5 metric tonne coal.

IMPORTS OF COAL IN ASIA

If we talk only about the Asia region, it has also increased the import of coal. In 2016, the countries of Asia imported 973 MT of coal which was 72.95 of the total coal business in the world.

LARGEST EXPORTER COUNTRIES OF COAL

Australia and Indonesia were also the largest exporters of coal in 2016, besides South Africa, Colombia and Mongolia contributed significantly to the export of coal in 2016.

According to the International Energy Agency, there has been an increase in the export of all types of coal in the world.

Coal production decreased by 458 metric tons in 2016, that is the highest since 1971.

Despite all this, in 2016, the coal business of the world increased 22.8% in 2016 compared to 2015.