Indian thermal power plants held sufficient coal inventories to sustain 24 days of electricity generation, local media reported, citing a senior coal ministry official on April 8.

As of April 7, coal stocks at coal-fired power plants in India stood at about 55 million tonnes, the official said. Based on the average consumption over the past seven days, the volume would cover 24 days of uninterrupted power generation.

Sanjeev Kumar Kassi, joint secretary of the Ministry of Coal in India, noted that current fuel stocks reflect absolutely no deficit on the power generation side, easing concerns over potential shortages amid surging power demand.

Domestic coal production is currently keeping pace with consumption rates, he added. There is no need for the public to worry about coal supply tightness as summer demand rises. The figure "enough for 24 days" is a theoretical value calculated under the assumption of complete suspensions in coal supply, a situation that does not hold in reality.

Meanwhile, Indian Railways has committed to providing solid support for coal transportation.

In addition to power plant inventories, coal inventories held by Coal India Limited (CIL), captive mines, and Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) totaled nearly 170 million tonnes. Kassi indicated that the nation's overall coal stocks approached 220 million tonnes.

To ensure stable supplies for small, medium, and other users, the government directed coal companies to increase coal allocations to individual states and raise volumes offered through online auctions. CIL accordingly increased its monthly e-auction sessions from the usual 15-20 to about 30.

Despite substantial cost increases in explosives and diesel, the official revealed that neither CIL nor SCCL lifted coal prices, so as to keep costs affordable for users. Kassi pointed out that CIL did not raise the floor price for e-auctions but actually lowered it to some extent.