NEW DELHI, May 1 (NNN-PTI) – Authorities in India have cancelled 42 passenger trains across the country, to allow fast and free movement of coal carriages, officials said yesterday.
The move has been taken to replenish coal stocks at thermal power plants, that are currently running low, forcing blackouts and outages in many states.
According to officials, 753 trips of these trains have been cancelled, to free up tracks for the smooth running of coal rakes.
Reports said, 713 trips of the South East Central Railway (SECR) have been cancelled until May 25, while 40 trips of the Northern Railways (NR) have been suspended until May 8.
“These trains have been cancelled indefinitely, with coal stocks depleting rapidly in thermal power plants,” a railways official said. “The railways are trying to take steps at war-footing, to transport coal and also cut down the time it takes to move coal to power plants.”
The cancellations will primarily impact passengers travelling from key coal-producing states, including Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand.
Many states have flagged a crisis of depleting coal stocks to the federal government.
On Friday, Delhi’s local power minister, Satyendar Jain said, crucial power plants, supplying electricity to the capital city, are left with less than a day of coal, which can cause blackouts and lead to interruptions in key services, like the metro and government hospitals.
“There are no backups as electricity can’t be stored,” he said. “There are no payments due from our side. The centre (federal government) should increase coal rack allocation. There is a lack of coordination that needs to be addressed.”
Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, said, the state has somehow managed to provide power in the face of a crisis but concrete steps were immediately needed to resolve the situation.
The power outages come at a time when many states in India are reeling under a heatwave. Power cuts have been reported in Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Punjab, Haryana and Indian-controlled Kashmir, at a time when mercury continues to rise.
The state-run Coal India, which accounts for 80 percent of India’s coal output, said yesterday, a 20 percent increase in coal offtake and 12 percent increase in coal production have been recorded in Apr.
About 70 percent of India’s electricity is generated by coal. Blackouts and power cuts have hit normal life and industry in parts of India.– NNN-PTI
