"India: Faster Clearances to Double Coal Production in 5 Years"

"NEW DELHI—India plans to speed up environmental clearances and the modernization of the country’s railway network to meet its target of doubling coal production in the next five years, said the country’s coal secretary.

A chronic coal shortage has contributed to India’s struggle to produce enough power. Much of the country has to deal with regular blackouts, in part because power plants sometimes don't have enough coal to run at full capacity.

One of the solutions will be to remove the barriers to ramping up production at India’s state-run monopoly producer of coal, Coal India Ltd. , by giving quick government environmental approvals to mining and infrastructure plans and investing in new railway tracks and railway cars, said Coal Secretary Anil Swarup."

Saurabh Chaturvedi reports for the Wall Street Journal December 1, 2014.

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