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| - Fact Check: All hunky-dory with coal supply in India? Viral post omits some crucial truths
Although India's coal production increased recently, severe shortage of coal at different thermal power plants is also very much a reality.
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India Today Fact Check
Although India’s coal production increased, there was a severe shortage of coal at different thermal power plants across the country.
Amid record temperatures and power outages across the country, a social media post criticising Congress leader Rahul Gandhi went viral.
The post read: “India’s coal production has increased in recent times. Factories are getting regular power supply. Yet Rahul Gandhi says India is facing coal crisis. In a desperate attempt to attack Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi, Rahul Gandhi is making fun of himself.”
The India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) found the claim to be misleading. Although India’s coal production did increase recently, there was a severe shortage of coal at several thermal power plants across the country.
Archived version of posts with similar claim can be seen here and here.
AFWA Probe
While investigating the claim we first looked for news on coal-related problems in the country. A Financial Express report from April 27 noted that according to data from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), coal availability in 11 out of the 13 coal fired power plants in the state turned “critical” as of April 25 with less than 25 per cent of normative coal stock.
We then searched the National Power Portal and found the original report that stated that there was a shortage of coal at different thermal stations across the country.
In fact, the Indian Railways decided to cancel 657 trains to ensure priority routes for coal wagons and faster turnaround.
An April 21 report in India Today noted that as many as 85 of the 150 domestic thermal power plants faced a coal shortage, with 40 spread across ten states and 31 in the private sector. The majority of the plants in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and West Bengal were battling shortages.
What coal ministry is saying?
On April 30, the Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines Pralhad Joshi asked people not to panic but also said that as there was a sudden spurt in demand for coal, the Railway Ministry was taking steps to transport the same, he said.
Joshi also attacked Rahul Gandhi over his remark on India's coal crisis and said, "Rahul Gandhi has become a fake astrologer these days. Instead of telling what is going to happen due to the shortage of coal in the country, he should tell the country how big a coal scam happened during his government and how much loss the country incurred due to this fraud.”
Gandhi had said that the Narendra Modi-led Centre should stop running the "bulldozer of hatred" and run power plants instead. “Today, the coal and electricity crisis has created havoc in the entire country," Gandhi wrote on social media. "I am saying again — This crisis will destroy small industries, due to which unemployment will increase further. Small children cannot stand this scorching heat. The lives of patients admitted to hospitals are at stake. There will be financial loss by stopping rail and metro services."
Joshi also said that India's coal production increased to 777 MT and offtake of 818 MT in the financial year 2021-22. "The country's coal production was just 566 MT in the FY 2013-14, while it has increased to 777 MT and offtake 818 MT in the FY 2021-22 under the Modi-government.”
Hence, we concluded that claim was somewhat misleading. Although India’s coal production increased recently, severe shortage of coal at different thermal power plants is also very much a reality.
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