India's Power Crisis Worsens As Over 1,000 Train Trips Called Off To Make Way For Coal Carriages

Approximately 1,100 trips of numerous different trains have been called off all over India to allow faster movement of coal carriages to cope with the critically low stocks at power plants in the middle of outages and blackouts in numerous states.

Previously, around 650 trips were called off by the Indian Railways, which extended it to double due to the worsening power crisis in the country.

Approximately 1,100 trips will be called off by Indian Railways till May 24 -- 580 trips of passenger trains and 500 rounds of mail express. The trains, which also include from the Northern and South East Central Railway zone, have been called off to ensure quick movement of coal.

The Railways is also trying to take further measures "at war-footing" to transport coal and cut down the time it takes to move coal to power plants; officials have been quoted as saying by NDTV.

Gaurav Krishna Bansal, an executive director at Indian Railways, last week had stated that the cancellation of trains is temporary, and passenger services will once again be restored as soon as the situation normalises.

Coal Crisis In India

In the middle of an unprecedented heatwave, power cuts and blackouts have hit life and industry in several parts of the country. In order to cope with the energy crisis, many industries are cutting output amid coal shortage, threatening economic recovery at a time when the Centre is dealing with high energy prices fueled by Russia's ongoing war with Ukraine.

Electricity Demand Spiked in Record Heatwave

Outstanding bills have added to the ongoing coal crisis in the country with massive outstanding dues worth about ₹ 7,918 crores of state-run power generating companies. As per reports, this has resulted in less dispatch of coal, especially in states with high dues like Rajasthan, West Bengal and Maharashtra.

Furthermore, other Indian states like Gujarat, Delhi, and Uttarakhand have not made any advance arrangements with their gas-based plants, which has also affected approximately 4,000 MW capacity, resulting in more pressure on domestic coal, the note to the cabinet secretary said.

Approximately 70 per cent of India's electricity is generated with the use of coal. The scarcity of carriages makes it even more challenging to carry coal over long distances, with routes congested with passenger trains often delaying shipments.

However, the coal ministry had previously stated that the ongoing power crisis in India is mainly due to the sharp decline in electricity generation from different fuel sources and is not related to the non-availability of domestic coal.

Also Read: Heartwarming! Kanpur Cop Buys All Balloons From Street Vendor To Help Him Go Home Early For Eid Celebrations