Kolkata: Coal India Limited (CIL) has sought to allay concerns over coal shortages despite a sharp rise in daily consumption by thermal power plants, saying 168 million tonnes (MT) of coal is available in the system to meet peak summer demand. Coal stocks at domestic coal-based plants stood at 47.6 MT as of May 23, while CIL's mine-head inventory was at 113.5 MT on May 24, up 10 per cent year-on-year. "This level is sufficient to meet 19 days of consumption," the company said. CIL added that lower stock levels during summer are a seasonal trend and not indicative of any supply-side crisis.