Coal Ministry Action Plan 2023 -24 Targets 1012 Million Tonne Coal Production
Ministry of Coal has released its action plan for the financial year 2023-24.
Salient Features of the plan –
- Coal production is targeted to be increased from the current level of 893 million tonne (MT) to 1012 MT in 2023-24.
- A Coal Trading Exchange will be launched to facilitate online trading of coal in the domestic market.
- An asset monetization target of Rs 50,000 crore has been set in FY2024.
- Technology roadmap for improving safety of mines, extraction of coal, coking coal strategy, closure of mines etc. is also provided.
- Sustainable initiatives like mine tourism, green initiatives, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) were also discussed.
Coal sector in India –
- India has the fifth largest coal reserves in the world. It is second only to China in coal production.
- India is one of the largest importers of coal. It sources most of its imports from Indonesia, South Africa and Australia.
- Coal accounts for about 50 per cent of the total installed power generation capacity in India.
Coal Classification –
- Anthracite (highest quality): Carbon content up to 80-95 percent is found in it. It is found in some quantity in Jammu and Kashmir.
- Bituminous: Up to 60-80 percent carbon content is found in it. Some amount of moisture is found in it. Its deposits are mainly in central and eastern India.
- Lignite: 40-55 percent carbon content is found in it. It is found in Rajasthan, Assam, Tamil Nadu etc.
Source – PIB
