States suffer power cuts as coal stocks shrink

50% units left with below 3-day stocks

In this July 1, 2013 photo, Indian laborers load coal into a truck at a roadside coal depot at Khliehriet in Meghalaya, India. For six years in a row, India's monopoly coal producer has missed its production targets, leading to chronic electricity shortages and sending power producers scrambling for pricier imports. But what looks like a looming crisis could turn out to be an almost accidental energy overhaul. India has relied for decades on cheap coal to provide electricity for burgeoning industry and fast-expanding cities, putting aside worries about pollution and global warming. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

North Indian states have suffered electricity cuts and face further outages because of a lack of coal, an analysis of government data and interviews with residents found, contradicting government assurances there is enough power.

The shortages in India — the world’s largest coal consumer after China — follow widespread outages in China,which has shut factories and schools to manage the crisis.

Over half of India’s 135 coal-fired power plants, which in total supply about 70% of India’s electricity, have fuel stocks of less than three days, data from the federal grid operator showed. The Power Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

On Wednesday, a section of the media quoted Power Minister R. K. Singh as saying, “There is nowhere that we have not been able to supply the quantity of power demanded.”