Coal Districts in India Highly Vulnerable Reveals Study

Districts where local economy is highly dependent on coal infrastructure, has low literacy rate, multidimensional poverty, and higher share of unskilled labour are vulnerable to coal phase out, mentioned the study on “Just Transition away from Coal: Vulnerability Analysis of Coal Districts in India” published in Energy Research and Social Science Journal (2023 Impact factor 6.7). The paper was authored by Doctoral Candidate Kopal Agrawal (Global Centre for Environment and Energy), Professor Minal Pathak, Professor Jeemol Unni, Professor Kaushik Jana and Professor Priyadarshi Shukla of Ahmedabad University. Calls for a transition away from coal have been growing globally. However, coal is an important fuel for India's energy security. As a 100-year-old industry, millions of people and several economic sectors are directly or indirectly associated with and dependent on coal.

The study assessed 88 coal districts representing 90% of the coal mining capacity and over 50% of coal-based power generation. The study shows that the vulnerability of the coal transition in India is mainly concentrated in 10 districts. The paper recommends that India's just transition policy must direct its efforts and funding to the most vulnerable districts. There is an opportunity to rebuild these districts through policy support for redevelopment, environmental improvement, enhancing skills of the population engaged in labour, reviving traditional livelihoods and diversifying industries.