Coal, which is used to produce almost 70 percent of electricity in India, is alarmingly depleting in the country, with stockpiles plunging to their lowest record since 2018 and may only last three more days according to the power ministry.
As of 4 October, out of the 104 thermal power plants in India, 16 plants which bring in the significant chunk of the power generation capacity have zero days of stocks. Forty-five of these plants report stocks only for the next couple of days.
And with half the countries coal plants on high alert, India is reportedly staring at crisis which could go on for as long as six months according to the power minister. In an interview with The Indian Express, Power Minister Raj Kumar Singh was quoted saying that it is a “touch and go” situation for the next few weeks.