Fact check: With rise in power demand, Maharashtra facing shortage of coal supply?

New Delhi, Apr 18: The coal ministry on Saturday said that Maharashtra has received more coal from the Centre in the current month compared to the last month and the supply has increased in tandem with the rise in demand for electricity. The ministry stressed that there may be issues with gas-based generation and of hydropower, but from the coal perspective there is ''no criticality''.

Last month, the coal supply to power plants in Maharashtra was 2.14 lakh tonnes (LT) per day which increased to 2.76 lakh tonnes per day in the current month (till April 11), the coal ministry said in a statement.

The statement comes a day after Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole stated that the power crisis in the state has been caused due to lack of coal supply by the central government.

''As you may see, Maharashtra is receiving more coal than in March. As of now they are meeting their coal requirement except for building up stocks. MOP (Ministry of Power) has asked them to import coal which may come only from mid May. That is when stocks may rise,'' the coal ministry said in a statement.

''So their issue is of low stocks ....There may be issues of gas based generation and of Hydro, but from coal perspective there is no criticality,'' the statement said. The thermal power plants (TPP) of Maharashtra were supplied 70.77 million tonnes (MT) of coal in FY'22. Mahagenco, which supplies power to Maharashtra, has been supplied 37.131 MT coal in 2021-22. The daily coal supply to Mahagenco last month was 0.96 LT/day which increased to 1.32 LT/day in the current month (till April 11). The coal requirement of Maharashtra is being met despite Mahagenco having outstanding dues of more than Rs 2,400 crore, the statement said.

Maharashtra was facing a power deficit of 4700 megawatt but agriculture sector consumers have been spared load-shedding, state energy minister Nitin Raut said on Saturday.

The minister said load-shedding had become unavoidable due to shortage of coal and insufficient gas supply.

Maharashtra Energy Minister Nitin Raut on Friday said that load shedding in the state is a result of an increase in demand for electricity following relaxation of the COVID-19 curbs. Speaking to reporters here, Raut blamed the Centre for poor management of coal supply and railway racks, and claimed that the state only has six days of coal stock left.

The state government is working towards filling the supply gap in power generation to prevent load shedding in the state, he said.