India's power plant coal reserves drop to 58% of need
India
Coal supplies at India's power plants have dropped to just 58% of what's needed, with only 44.5 million metric tons left, down a big 27% from last year.
The main reasons? Weak monsoon rains and a massive spike in electricity use during ongoing heat waves.
Thermal plants at critical coal levels
Out of 190 thermal power plants, 34 are now at critical coal levels (more than double last year), meaning their reserves are below a quarter of what's considered safe.
This crunch comes as Delhi broke its own usage record, while nationwide demand remains below the all-time high of 270.82 gigawatts.