Bhubaneswar: Amid the ongoing nationwide lockdown enforced to contain further spread of the Coronavirus, the East Coast Railway (ECoR) has supplied 10.50 million tonnes (MT) of coals in 2,683 trains between March 22 and April 27 towards various places in the country from its jurisdiction to ensure uninterrupted supply of coal to power houses.
As per the ECoR statement, transportation of coal from Talcher area, Paradip, Visakhapatnam and Dhamara is being done to different power plants in different states of the country.
Talcher is the major coal loading point of ECoR and commands the status of being the biggest coal loading point served from one station in whole of Asia. Talcher area consists of 11 coal loading sidings of Mahanadi Coal Fields Ltd, from where coal gets transported to the thermal Power plants of NTPC and other power houses of South India via rail routes and the sea route through Paradip Port. Talcher also supplies coal to steel plants of Rourkela, Vizag captive power plants as well as other industries located in different parts of the country. During the lockdown period, ECoR loaded 6.48 million tonnes thermal coal from its jurisdiction in 1,695 Trains.
Paradip Port Trust (PPT) loads outward traffic by rail consisting of coke, imported coal and other minerals. There is inward rail traffic of imported coal. During the lockdown time, 1.30 million tonnes of imported coal has been loaded from Paradeep in 322 Trains.
Dhamra Port loads outward coal of imported coal and its inward traffic is thermal coal. During the lockdown period, 1.21 million tonnes of coal in 295 trains has been loaded from Dhamara port for different industries.
Similarly, in Vizag Port loaded 0.95 million tonnes of imported Coal in 232 Trains towards different industries of the country. Apart from this, Gangavaram Port loaded 0.39 million tonnes of coal in 96 Trains.
During lockdown period, ECoR has played a major role by transporting imported coal about 3.90 million tonnes to various destinations in the country and 6.60 million tonnes of thermal coal from its jurisdiction.
Major power plants like NTPC at Kaniha, TTPS at Talcher, FACOR at Baudpur, Sterlite at Jharsuguda, GMR at Budhapank in Odisha, NTPC (Kahalgaon, Farakka), Calcutta Electricity Supply Corporation (BGB), WBPDCL (Bakreswar, Kolaghat, Bandel, Santaldih, Sagardighi), Damodar Valley Corporation (Durgapur, Mezia, DSTPS, KTPS) in Eastern India, NTPC (Simhadri, Ramagundam), APGENCO/Vijayawada, Modannur, TANGEDCO (Tuticurin, Mettur, Ennore, North-Madras), NTECL- Raichur, Bellary. Southern India, Adani Power (MH) Ltd. (Tiroda) in Central India, Mundra Thermal Power Plant at Mundra in Gujarat in western India are being served by the ECoR.
