Rainfall helps reduce India's coal imports

Outpours in India boosted hydroelectricity generation and reduced its coal-based demand. Thus India's coal imports for power generation may be 24 per cent less than estimated by the country's Planning Commission.
The rainfall this year has been the most in three years.

According to Planning Commission authorities, the country may import 34-35 million tonnes of thermal coal in the year ending 31 March as against the forecast 45 million tonnes, according to domain-b.com.

 “Hydro power generation so far this year has been above normal due to good monsoons. That has taken the load off coal substantially,'' said IA Khan, a joint adviser at the Planning Commission.

More than half of India's power plants are fired by coal and demand for the fuel, according to government estimates, may be more than triple to 2 billion tonnes over the next two decades.