Telangana: Singareni Collieries back in action after lull in operations

Hyderabad: After quite a long rough patch, first on account of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and then due to the incessant rains in the State, the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) is back in action, with coal excavation being expedited now. The operations, which came back on track after the rains receded across the […]

Hyderabad: After quite a long rough patch, first on account of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and then due to the incessant rains in the State, the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) is back in action, with coal excavation being expedited now.

The operations, which came back on track after the rains receded across the State in the last few days, is slowly picking up pace. On an average, the SCCL used to generate 1.80 lakh metric tonnes of coal every day during normal situations, barring during the monsoon season. It is now generating 1.60 lakh to 1.70 lakh metric tonnes of coal, officials said, adding that the operations in the mines would muster speed soon to meet the requirements of thermal power generation companies. The SCCL has set a target of producing around 70 million tonnes of coal for the current financial year.

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A majority of coal was generated from mines in Kothagudem and Sathupalli areas in the erstwhile Khammam district, according to officials.

Excavation works in almost all the coal mines were affected due to the continuous downpour in July and August. Rainwater had also entered the open cast (OC) mines, hitting the operations quite badly. The staff had to use additional pumps to clear water from the OC mines, officials said.

To ensure supply of coal to thermal power general companies with which the SCCL has agreements, officials have chalked out action plans to make up for the deficit coal production. A few days ago, the SCCL also conducted a meeting with Singareni area managers to continue operations uninterruptedly, SCCL Director (Operations) S Chandrashekhar said.

The management was taking necessary precautions to continue coal supplies to power generation companies, he said, adding that before the monsoon, the operations in mines were affected due to shortage of explosive material because of the Russia-Ukraine war. The SCCL then held a meeting with explosives suppliers and requested to increase their production.