State-owned CIL on Friday reported a six per cent drop in production at 229.8 million tonnes (MT) in the April-July period of the current financial year even as the government is making efforts to increase the output to cut imports.
The company had produced 244.3 MT of coal in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal, Coal India Ltd (CIL) said in a filing to BSE.
The coal behemoth did not give reasons for the decline in production. However, industry analysts attribute the production dip to typical monsoon-related disruptions, which can hinder mining operations and dispatch to power plants.
CIL accounts for over 80% of domestic coal output.
Coal production in July also dropped to 46.4 MT from 55 MT in the corresponding month of previous fiscal.
Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy had earlier said that the country will not face any shortage of coal in the upcoming monsoon season, as the government is well prepared to meet the demand across various sectors, including the power sector.
The coal ministry had earlier said that it remains committed to achieving sustainable growth, improving coal availability, and reducing dependence on imports.
With the positive momentum, the coal sector continues to play a pivotal role in powering India's growth story.
Coal India Ltd is targeting a production of 875 million tonnes and an offtake of 900 MT in 2025-26.