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In an environment of energy problem in the country like India, the Coal Industry occupies a special position among various resources.
The Coal Industry in India contributes a lot to the present commercial and economic successes. Industries such as steel and Carbo-Chemicals largely depend upon coal industry. The process of coal extraction was started in the year 1814.
Coal Production In India
Coal is largely available in the areas situated in the valleys of rivers Sone, Damodar, Godavari and Vardha. Generally Anthrasite and Bituminous qualities of coals are found in these areas. Major portions are available in the states like Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhatisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.
The lignite quality of coal is found in the areas of Rajsthan, Tamil Nadu, Meghalaya and Jammu and Kashmir.
The following table shows the statistics on coal production in India:
| Year | Quantity(In lakh tonnes) |
| 1950-51 | 323 |
| 1996-97 | 3082 |
| 1997-98 | 3190 |
| 1998-99 | 3157 |
| 1999-2000 | 3221 |
| 2000-2001 | 3326 |
| 2001-2002 | 3526 |
| 2002-03 | 3673 |
| 2003-04 | 3892 |
| 2004-05 | 4130 |
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Coal Reserves In Indian States
States such as Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Jharkhand and West Bengal have the highest reserves of coals. The following table shows the volumes of coal reserves in the Indian states as in the year 2005.
| State | Reserves
(In million tonnes) |
| Madhya Pradesh | 72204 |
| Orrisa | 60984 |
| Jharkhand | 39975 |
| West Bengal | 27813 |
| Chhattisgarh | 19232 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 16926 |
| Maharashtra | 8582 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 1062 |
| Meghalaya | 459 |
| Assam | 340 |
| Bihar | 160 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 90 |
| Nagaland | 20 |
| Total | 247847 |
Source: India 2006
Coal Industry At A Glance
India's coal industry was nationalized in the year 1972 and 1973. Further the Coal Mines Act was amended in 1993. Since then the participation of the private sector in the industry have increased very fast. Presently the industry is controlled by the Coal India Limited (CIL) and Singarene Collieries Company Limited (SCCL).The industry is facing the problem of lower productivity in the recent years. For raising productivity in the industry, the Government has delicensed the coal and lignite.
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