The Union Power Ministry has recommended the import of coal for blending up to 10 per cent to ensure adequate stocks for uninterrupted electricity supply over the next few weeks when power demand is expected to rise further.
It has also allowed tolling which essentially would mean giving electricity producers access to coal near a plant rather than transporting it from allocated mines that may be in far away areas.
The measures follow coal inventories dropping to their lowest pre-summer levels in at least 9 years and the electricity demand is expected to increase at the fastest pace in at least 38 years.
