Can India Survive Without Coal?

KAKALI DAS

Coal is deeply rooted in the fabric of Indian society. From the man who irons your clothes to the woman who makes your morning chai, almost every part of the economic chain is connected to coal in one way or another. Coal has given India electricity and light for decades. It powered homes, factories, trains and dreams. For a long time, coal meant progress. But today, coal is also taking a toll on people’s health. The same fuel that lights our homes is filling our air with pollution. Anyone who breathes this air cannot escape its effects.

India is the world’s fastest growing major economy and is trying to become a global manufacturing hub. It makes mobile phones, electric cars, semiconductors and high speed trains. To produce all of this, India needs a massive amount of electricity. Energy is the backbone of development. Without energy, no country can move forward. In India, much of that energy comes from coal.

In Chhattisgarh in central eastern India lies the Gevra coal mine, one of the largest coal mines in Asia and the second largest in the world. It is a prestigious project for the country. This mine supplies coal to around seven states. Nearly seventeen to twenty thermal power plants receive coal from here. Gevra produces around sixty million tonnes of coal every year. The mine stretches over a vast area and represents the scale at which India operates to meet its energy needs.

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Many countries are blessed with large reserves of natural gas and oil. India, however, has abundant coal reserves that are expected to last for the next one hundred to one hundred fifty years. As the economy grows and more villages become connected to electricity, the demand for power increases. Supporters of coal argue that India must be careful about the environment while continuing mining. They point to measures such as rapid loading systems to reduce dust, water sprinklers during mining operations and efforts to reduce environmental disturbance. They say that with sustainable practices coal mining can continue responsibly.

India has a population of over 1.4 billion people. It is a massive country with enormous energy demand. Around seventy to seventy five percent of India’s electricity is generated from coal. That means three out of every four units of electricity used in India come from coal. Renewable energy is growing and now contributes over ten percent, but the transition is slow. Millions of jobs are linked to coal. If India suddenly stops using coal, what will happen to those workers? Finding new jobs will not be easy. Many families depend directly and indirectly on coal for their survival.

Coal India alone employs hundreds of thousands of people. When we include transportation, local businesses and related industries, nearly twenty million people depend on coal every day. Coal is not just an energy source. It is a way of life in many regions. Disentangling local economies and political systems from coal is not simply an energy question. It is a cultural and political challenge.

Coal production in India began in the late nineteenth century during British rule. Initially it was largely a private industry. The East India Company played a major role in introducing coal as an energy source. In the early 1970s, India passed laws to nationalize the coal industry. First coking coal was nationalized and then the entire industry. Coal India became a large state owned company and remains one of the biggest coal producers in the world. Today private companies such as Adani, Jindal and Tata also operate coal mines.

Over the last fifty years, coal has become the primary fuel for power generation. India also imports coal from Indonesia, South Africa and Australia. For many Indians, especially in earlier decades, coal was the only reliable source of electricity. Even privileged families experienced power cuts lasting several hours a day. Only recently has almost every village been connected to the electricity grid. However, being connected to the grid often still means receiving electricity generated from coal.

As India lifts millions out of poverty, energy demand rises. To sustain economic growth, coal remains central. Globally, the world burns nearly double the amount of coal compared to twenty five years ago. Energy economists once believed coal use was in structural decline, but in recent years that trend has slowed or reversed in some regions. In the United States, political leaders have at times supported coal as a reliable backup energy source. If other sources fail, coal plants can still generate power.

The future of coal worldwide depends largely on countries like China and India, which are both major producers and major polluters. India argues that its historical emissions are less than five percent of the global total, despite having a large share of the world’s population. It calls for common but differentiated responsibilities in climate negotiations. Developed countries used coal extensively during their industrialization. Nations like Germany faced severe pollution, acid rain and environmental damage during their coal era. Later, they invested heavily in cleaning up and transitioning to greener energy. India believes it must be allowed to grow and secure energy for its people before phasing out coal.

At the same time, the health impacts of coal are undeniable. India is the world’s third largest carbon emitter after the United States and China. More than a billion people in India are exposed to air pollution every year. Doctors report alarming changes in lung health. A chest surgeon with decades of experience has observed that the color and texture of lungs have changed dramatically over time. Healthy lungs that should appear pink often look dark and damaged. Long term exposure to air pollution is linked to around 1.6 million deaths per year in India. Yet pollution is rarely listed as the direct cause of death. Diseases such as pneumonia are recorded instead. Because pollution is not directly written as a cause, it does not receive the urgent attention it deserves.

Some experts compare the air pollution crisis to the COVID pandemic in terms of scale. They argue that governments responded swiftly to COVID with emergency measures, but air pollution, which causes comparable long term harm, has not been addressed with the same urgency. Cities like London and Beijing managed to reduce air pollution by tackling sources directly rather than waiting for the air to get dirty and then trying to clean it. If Beijing can reduce pollution, why cannot Delhi?

Coal mining also has severe local impacts. When coal is discovered in a region, entire communities may be displaced. In some villages, around one hundred fifty families once lived peacefully. As mining expanded, several villages merged into mining areas. Five to seven thousand farmers have been displaced from some regions.

People say that they learned from newspapers that a mine would come and consume their land. They feel that the mine can swallow their lives overnight. Some claim that land was taken without proper purchase and that soil was dumped forcibly to take possession. Even cremation grounds were allegedly filled with soil at night and occupied.

Farmers say that when they are no longer alive, how can others claim their land? Many of them depended on small plots of land for crops such as rice and groundnuts. Forest products like tendu leaves and fodder also supported their livelihoods. As mining expands, these sources of income disappear. Water sources for irrigation go deeper underground, making farming more difficult. People ask what the government truly wants. They understand that the country needs coal, but they feel the treatment they receive is unfair.

Lawyers and activists argue that the real cost of mining has never been fully documented. Mining destroys vegetation, agricultural fields and natural drainage patterns. It generates methane during extraction. Burning coal releases nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides and carbon monoxide. Many farmers in India are small or marginal farmers with less than two acres of land. Displacement pushes them into deeper vulnerability.

Companies operating mines respond that they follow all government regulations. They state that land has been legally acquired with compensation paid according to the law. They say they regularly monitor groundwater and air quality and implement measures for water conservation, dust control and tree plantation. They emphasize that mining activities are conducted within approved areas and with environmental safeguards.

Meanwhile, renewable energy companies are expanding rapidly. One of India’s leading renewable energy firms began operations in 2011, recognizing climate change as a serious issue. Today it operates around twelve gigawatts of wind, solar and storage capacity. It also manufactures solar panels and cells domestically. The government has set ambitious renewable energy targets, aiming for hundreds of gigawatts of capacity in the coming decades.

Despite this progress, experts believe India will not be coal free in the near future. Coal accounts for most of the current energy supply. The idea of a just transition has gained importance. A just transition means phasing out fossil fuels gradually while protecting workers and communities dependent on them. Coal has created a culture and economic dependence over generations. You cannot simply retrain millions of transport workers, tea sellers and shopkeepers overnight. Coal regions are mostly in eastern India, while many renewable projects are in western and northern states. Relocating millions of workers is not practical.

Some analysts predict that coal based power generation will decrease slowly over the next twenty five years as renewable energy grows. Coal’s share may drop from seventy percent to thirty percent, but this will take time. Some believe coal could be fully phased out by 2070, especially if it becomes more expensive than cleaner alternatives. Others argue that thermal coal will remain necessary for at least the next ten to fifteen years because renewable energy alone cannot meet demand.

Coal is intertwined with India’s economy and society. It has brought hope to generations. It has enabled parents to send their children to school. It has provided electricity so daughters can study at night. At the same time, it has filled the air with pollution that harms the very people it aims to uplift. India’s past and present are coal based. Its future is being debated.

Economic development requires healthy people. If air pollution continues unchecked, it will undermine growth. A sick society cannot sustain prosperity. The challenge for India is to balance energy security, economic growth and environmental protection. Coal currently keeps India lit. It powers factories, homes and aspirations. But the cost is visible in polluted skies and damaged lungs.

The question is not simply whether coal should exist or not. The real question is how India can gradually reduce its dependence on coal while ensuring jobs, development and fairness for affected communities. It requires careful planning, investment in renewable energy, support for workers and strict environmental enforcement. Coal may remain part of India’s energy mix for decades, but its dominance is likely to decline over time.

On one side is the promise of growth powered by coal. On the other side is the urgent need for clean air and sustainable development. The route ahead will not be easy. It will demand political will, economic innovation and social compassion. Coal built modern India in many ways. Now India must decide how to build its future.

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