40% of India's coal plants face critically low reserves: Govt data

As many as 74 Indian coal-based power plants are operating with critically low fuel reserves, up from 60 in the previous week, as per Central Electricity Authority data. El Niño-driven heat has spiked demand to 230–250 GW, while heavy rainfall disrupted eastern coal mining and transportation. This has widened the supply gap despite a 5% rise in rake loading.