At least 47 personnel of Central Coalfields Ltd (CCL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited, lost their lives due to coronavirus in Jharkhand, an official said on Sunday.
Besides, many other personnel and their family members are battling for life, Coal India’s Jharkhand arm added.
“Mining activities of Central Coalfields Ltd, a Jharkhand based subsidiary of Coal India, are going on round the clock but around 47 employees of CCL have lost their lives while serving the nation during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” CCL officials said.
“Despite following the protocol of Covid-19 issued by the government from time to time, many executives as well as non-executives, have been affected from the COVID-19 infection. Altogether about 47 employees have lost their lives due to the deadly virus and many are undergoing treatment. It is not only the employees of CCL are affected but there are cases in which many family members too became affected and few of them died due to the Covid-19,” the official added.
Central Coalfields has claimed to have set up around 2,000 beds which include ICU, isolation and covid care beds with oxygen support.
CCL CMD PM Prasad said under the prevailing circumstances he has asked officials to work closely with the state government and district administration to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
CCL has mining operations in Chatra, Latehar, Ramgarh, Hazaribag, Bokaro, Ranchi, Giridih and Palamu districts of Jharkhand.
It has 62 operative mines including 40 opencast. It has a workforce of about 37,000.
CCL recorded a 112 per cent increase in production at 4.84 million tonne (MT) in April 2021 as against 2.28 MT coal output in April 2020.
