India has some of the largest reserves of coal in the world. With the present rate of around 0.8 million tonnes average daily coal extraction in the country, the reserves are likely to last over a 100 years.
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1984-85 1994-95
Coal Production -------------------------
(million tonnes)
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Coking Coal 36.50 44.25
Non-Coking coal 110.91 209.56
Total Coal 147.41 253.81
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Production of coal grew at a rate of 6.4% per annum during the eighties. Following the nationalisation of coal in the early seventies, production of coking coal increased at 4.2% per annum. This growth accelerated to 5.4% during the eighties. Similarly non-coking coal production, has grown from 4.7% per annum in the seventies to 6.7% per annum in the eighties.
Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, Bombay
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Last updated: August 1995.