Damtal SAIL plant shut for using banned furnace oil

Our Correspondent

NURPUR, DECEMBER 20

Steel Authority of Indiarsquo;s (SAIL) steel plant at Kandrori in Damtal industrial area in Indora sub division has been closed for using banned furnace oil for its steel production.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) in its order dated November 22, while disposing of a petition no 138/2019, has directed the Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board (HPSPCB) and the District Magistrate, Kangra to submit the compliance report after stopping the unit for using furnace oil in its production.

A health hazard

• General Manager of SAIL said as per the NGT order, production in the plant had stopped.

• Furnace oil pollutes environment which can create health problem for the people.

• Now the plant can start production only after receiving an NoC from the HPSPCB.

• A petition filed in the NGT a year ago complained against the SAIL plant for using banned furnace oil in its production.

As per information, the plant stopped its production on December 12 after receiving the NGT order. A copy of the order is in the possession of The Tribune.

In order to file compliance report, a committee led by Mast Ram, Additional District Magistrate, Kangra, Sunil Dubey, additional director, Central Pollution Control Board and RK Nadda, Executive Engineer, HPSPCB visited the SAIL plant last evening and inspected it thoroughly to ensure whether the plant had stopped using furnace oil.

When asked, Xen HPSPCB told The Tribune that the plant had already stopped its production and the committee had visited the plant to ensure compliance of NGT orders.

Meanwhile, Inder Pal Bali, general manager of the SAIL, said as per order of the NGT the production in the plant had stopped on December 12 immediately after receiving order.

Notably, furnace oil pollutes environment which can create health problem to the people of the area and the apex court had already banned its used in the industrial units. However, SAIL has further handed over the production of the Kandrori Steel Plant to the private company but itself is undertaking marketing its production. But now this plant can start production only after receiving No Objection Certificate from the HPSPCB.

It is learnt one Amarjeet Singh had filed a petition in the NGT a year ago complaining against the SAIL plant for using banned furnace oil in its production. Now shutting down the steel plant of the SAIL will render a large number of workers jobless.

Courtesy: Tribune News Service