TALCHER: Local unrest continues to bleed Talcher coalfields as the losses mount due to disruption of coal supply.
While the ongoing standoff between villagers of Danara and Soloda over loading of trucks has hit coal transport from Balaram mine, inhabitants of Gopal Prasad on Friday stopped operations in Hingula mine for five hours over employment opportunities.
Locals of Danara are staging protest over their demand that Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) should carry coal from the mine at Soloda to their village for loading of trucks. The agitation has led to blockade of coal transport from Balaram mine.
MCL officials said at least 60,000 tonne of coal could not be supplied to various consumers due to illegal blockade of coal despatch from Balram Open Cast Project (OCP) by residents of Danara village and Balaram Truck Association since October 6. Major consumers affected due to stoppage of coal despatch from Solada stock include NALCO, JITPL, JSPL, BSL, SPCL, GMR and others. On Thursday, Danara villagers had also stopped over burden (OB) removal at Mahalakshmi outsourcing patch of Balram OCP. Some villagers unauthorisedly entered the Mahalakshmi camp premises and stopped OB removal operations.
Due to this obstruction, approximately 30,000 to 35,000 cubic meter of OB removal has been hampered, resulting in 20,000 tonne less coal exposure per day, the officials said. Moreover, coal despatch of around 15,000 tonne has also been affected due to which the company is incurring a direct loss of `1.47 crore per day. The Government exchequer is losing `20.58 lakh per day