Singrauli is a city and municipal corporation in the eastern part of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It serves as the administrative headquarters of Singrauli district and is one of the most important industrial and energy production centres in India, often referred to as the "energy capital" of the country owing to its concentration of coal mines and thermal power stations.
| Country | India |
|---|---|
| State | Madhya Pradesh |
| District | Singrauli |
| Type | City, municipal corporation |
| Region | Baghelkhand / Vindhya region |
| Known for | Coal mining, thermal power generation |
Singrauli lies in the north-eastern corner of Madhya Pradesh, bordering the state of Uttar Pradesh. The city is situated in the Singrauli coalfield basin, a portion of the larger Son–Mahanadi belt of Gondwana coal deposits. The Rihand reservoir, formed by the Rihand Dam on the Rihand river (a tributary of the Son), lies near the urban area and supplies water to several power plants. The terrain is part of the Vindhyan plateau and was historically forested.
Historically, the Singrauli area formed part of the princely estate of Rewa and remained relatively isolated and forested until the mid-twentieth century. Industrial development began with the discovery and exploitation of large lignite and bituminous coal reserves. Singrauli district was carved out of Sidhi district in 2008, and the city subsequently grew into the district headquarters. Local administration is carried out by the Singrauli Municipal Corporation.
The economy of Singrauli is dominated by coal extraction and electricity generation. The Singrauli coalfield is operated largely by Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited, which has its headquarters in Singrauli. The region hosts a cluster of large thermal power stations, including:
Together, these installations make the Singrauli–Sonbhadra belt one of the largest concentrations of installed thermal generation capacity in India.
Singrauli is connected by rail through Singrauli railway station, which lies on lines linking it with Katni, Chopan and the broader Indian Railways network. National and state highways connect the city with Sidhi, Rewa and Varanasi. The nearest major airports are at Varanasi and Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, with a smaller airstrip at Singrauli used primarily for industrial operations.
The population is largely Hindi-speaking, with Bagheli and Bhojpuri also widely used. Tribal communities, including Gond and Baiga groups, form a significant share of the rural population in the district. Industrial growth has driven substantial in-migration of workers from across India.
The intense concentration of mining and coal-based power generation has made Singrauli one of the most studied industrial regions of India in terms of air, water and soil pollution. The Central Pollution Control Board has at various times listed it among India's critically polluted industrial clusters, and remediation and monitoring programmes have been carried out by central and state agencies.
Singrauli's role in supplying electricity to the northern grid, including to the National Capital Region, gives it national importance in India's energy security. It is frequently cited in policy discussions on coal, thermal power, environmental regulation and rehabilitation of project-affected populations.