Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) has produced 139.2 million tonnes coal in FY-17 accounting for 25 per cent of Coal India Ltd’s annual production.

Over 92 per cent of this 139.2 mt was through surface miners, thereby ensuring consistent quality.

MCL was the first company in the country to introduce Surface Miners in coal mining way back in 1999, it said in a release.

Currently, 38 surface miners are deployed in 16 open cast mines of the company spread over in Angul, Jharsuguda and Sundergarh districts of Odisha.

“Surface miners have augmented quality supply of coal to our consumers, which mostly are power plants across the country,’’ said AK Jha, Chairman & Managing Director.

He added that all coal loading points, sidings, sample preparation sites, sample storage rooms and all coal stockyards have been kept under CCTV surveillance.