New Delhi Close to 65,000 MW of power generation capacity is held up in the country due to shortage in fuel supply by state-run Coal India, says a report.

According to the latest CEA report, as many as 47 power stations suffered scarcity of fuel with stocks that could not last more than a week. These plants are categorised as stations with "critical" coal stock position of less than 7 seven days by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), apex power planning body.

The State is likely to get some relief from the power crisis in the coming days with the Centre reportedly asking the Coal India and Singareni Collieries Company managements to ensure supply of coal for generating 350 MW power to the fuel-starved thermal generation stations at Simhadri and Ramagundam.

Though the power utilities have not received any communication in this regard, the supply of additional coal would certainly give some relief by bridging the shortfall to the tune of 8 MU. It may, however, not help in overcoming the power shortage completely.

Power generation was hit at the 2,600 MW National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Ramagundam due to poor supply of coal from the Singareni Collieries Company limited and other coal agencies during this rainy season.

Presently, the NTPC Ramagundam was generating only 2,000 MWs against its installed capacity of 2,600 MWs due to shortage of coal. The power generation would further come down with the authorities planning to go in for annual overhaul of the seventh unit of 500 MWs from Tuesday late night onwards.

The government’s decision to roll back a 12.5 per cent rise in coal prices might have eroded Coal India’s cushion against a Rs 6,500-crore wage impact.

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Fly ash is an industrial waste generated from thermal power plants. A large part of fly ash produced is disposed of with very high environmental risk.