As the country?s largest coal producer Coal India aims to produce 520 mt coal by terminal year of the 11 Plan (2011-12) at a growth of 8.2%, a review meeting of the sector with the minister of state for coal Santosh Bagrodia on Tuesday found that if constraints are removed, production can increase to 573.37 mt at a growth rate of 10.80%.

An exercise carried out in 2005 led to the formulation of Emergency Coal Production Plan (ECPP), which envisaged additional production of 71 mt from 16 projects. If constrains are addressed CIL can increase its production by a whopping 51.87 mt to 573.37 mt of coal by 2011-12.

For Eastern Coalfield Ltd (ECL) as per the additional plan document, coalfields are to produce 25.49 mt coal, which can be increased to 26.65 mt by addressing the constrains. For the ongoing projects as per original plan 0.44 mt can be produced, but if constrains are addressed, the production of coal can scale up by another 4.40 mt to 4.84 mt.

The problems that ECL needs to address are in the form of acquiring forestland amounting to 823 hectare, 32 villages to be rehabilitated and 1,984 hectare of other land to be acquired.

The Public Investment Board clearance for its Rajmahal project and EMP clearance for Chuparvita, Chitra and Hura are the other problems of ECL.

For Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL), the existing and ongoing projects show no addition of production even if the constrains are addressed, future projects production can improve by 1.99 mt to 6.82 mt and hired patch production can improve by 2.17 mt to 3 mt.

The problems for BCCL in better production include acquiring forestland of 96 hectare, other land of 976 hectare and employment of 38 people, which is beyond the company norm.

Resettlement and rehabilitation issues and approval of unviable project on coast plus basis are some of the other impediments.

In the Central Coalfields Ltd (CCL) the production of 21.22 mt can be increased by 3.88 mt by addressing the problems and ongoing projects can increase production to 34.15 mt from 33.38 mt and in future projects it does not see any additional improvement of coal production.

The main problems of CCL include acquiring forestland of 1,208 hectare, other land of 823 hectare and 4 villages to be rehabilitated. Law and order problem, environmental clearance and evacuation problems in NK Coalfields are the other bottlenecks.

In the northern Coalfields Ltd addressing constrains to growth can add 10 mt for the future projects from the targeted 6 mt and ongoing projects another 1.5 mt from the original 37 mt.

NCL has lesser forestland to acquire measuring 244 hectare and other land measuring 81 hectare.

EMP clearance and procurement of heavy earth moving machines are the other hindrances for achieving the potential coal production.

Western Coalfields does not show any major increase in production, with an addition of a mere 1.30 mt after addressing production constrains. Its problems include acquiring forestland of 147 hectare, other and of 2,285 hectare, rehabilitating 3 villages and a fuel supply agreement on cost plus basis.

The prized South Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL), however, show excellent potential with a likely additional production of 17.85 mt of coal if issues are addressed. The existing projects can add 7.74 mt to production, ongoing projects add another 8.11 mt from the targeted 69.32 mt and future projects 2 mt from the targeted 22.67 mt. EMP clearance, R&R issues, employment, acquiring 1,399 hectare of forestland and 5,643 hectare of other land are the key problems for SECL.

Mahanadi Coalfields also shows promise, with the potential to add 16.85 mt coal to its production.

Existing projects can add 5.99 mt from the original 49.96 mt, ongoing projects 3.36 mt to the original 62.54 mt and future projects add 7.50 mt from the original 24.50 mt.

Evacuation problems, R&R issue, EMP clearance, acquiring 951 hectare of forestland and rehabilitating 15 villages are its problems.