Non Coking Coal import down by 16 pc from 2019, says the Coal ministry

"In the first five months of the Financial Year 2021-22 i.e. up to August 2021 (Firm import data is available up to August,21), the import of all varieties of Non Coking Coal has reduced to 70.85 MT from 84.44 MT during the corresponding months of the financial year 2019-20 representing a decline of about 16.09 per cent," the Ministry said.

The financial year 2020-2021 was not accounted for comparison purposes since industrial production was severely affected during this year due to COVID-19 related restrictions where the decline was observed around 21 per cent.

The Ministry said the reduction of imports of low calorific value (low GCV) of Non Coking Coal which is mainly used in the power sector is even more significant.

"During FY 2021-22 upto Aug 21, the imports of such grades of coal have decreased by about 47 per cent to 15.24 MT from 28.69 MT during the same period of FY 2019-20," the Ministry noted.

"Due to substantial reduction of import of Non Coking Coal in the current year, the total import of coal has also reduced to 94.15 MT in the period from April to August 2021 compared to 107.01 MT during the corresponding period of FY 2019-20, a decrease of about 12 per cent," it added.

The reduction in imports holds significance to the rise in domestic production in line with the Modi government's Atma Nirbhar Bharat Mission.

"This has resulted in considerable financial savings in the current year, as coal prices are going up sharply in the international market," it said.