India's Energy Evolution: From Coal to Clean

By Saanvi Goel

The most pressing issue facing humanity today is pollution causing global climate change. One of the chief causes attributing to pollution is energy. Coal mining is responsible for around 7 percent of greenhouse emissions globally. Coal powered thermal power has existed since 1832 and has been one of the earliest sources of large scale power production. It was thermal power which was responsible for large scale industrialization throughout the US and Europe in the nineteenth and twentieth century. 

In India coal based thermal power plants started in 1920 with the establishment of Hussain Sagar Thermal Power station in Hyderabad. As of March 2024 India amassed 210 GW of coal based thermal power out of a total of 243 GW thermal power in the country, the rest being Lignite, diesel and gas.The primary reason for the rapid spread of thermal energy was that it was comparatively much cheaper as compared to other renewable sources like hydro, wind or solar. Apart from being renewable these are considered to be a lot cleaner as the pollution is a fraction of the conventional thermal energy. A large part of the reason for this differential was that the renewable sector was a relatively new sector, therefore the technology was prohibitively expensive. But things appear to be changing in favor of clean and renewable energy. The government is promoting clean energy like never before. This is in the form of giving subsidies, whether they be in the form of interest subvention, tax breaks or cheaper import duties for setting up these plants. There won’t be a sudden shift completely to the new source, but the process has begun. It will take a few decades to make the complete shift. The change process, though necessary, will not be without its pitfalls for some. A large number of people are employed in coal mining. India is the second largest producer and consumer of coal globally after China. India officially employs more than 330,000 people in coal mining, though some data suggest that the number could be four to five times larger than that. Working in coal mines has always been fraught with danger. The tunnels collapse frequently, cutting the workers off there. They are prone to frequent flooding as well. There are poisonous gasses in the mines causing suffocation. Exposure to coal mining dust causes numerous pulmonary diseases, like black lung and many others to the workers. Miners often work long hours in the dark handling physically and mentally arduous tasks,causing stress and fatigue. This is an often overlooked risk for them. 

To attain net zero emission levels by 2070, the target set by India, we need to gradually move away from coal mining. But such a large labor force can’t be left in the lurch, fending for themselves. Not just the workers, but their families who are dependent on them, will be affected. We,as a country, need a strong plan to reskill and upskill coal mine workers to protect their interests. A strong and holistic approach needs to be adapted for the transition. Coal mining in India is mostly concentrated in a few states like Jharkhand, Odisha and Chhattisgarh. These states are well below the national average in terms of per capita income. So it won’t be easy for them. Also a uniform approach may not work. Different states may go for different actions to help design different industry relevant skills and livelihood promotion.

By Saanvi Goel