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Bokaro in danger of running out of iron ore
New
Delhi,
Feb
3:
Bokarao
Steel
Plant
is
in
danger
of
running
out
of
iron
ore
in
a
few
years
time
if
current
output
is
maintained,
official
sources
say,
Current
mining
areas
at
Bokaro's
twin
mines--
Kiriburu
and
Meghataburu--
together
have
reserves
of
mere
58
million
tonnes,
which
would
be
depleted
in
just
four
to
five
years
in
the
event
of
current
output
being
maintained.
Bokaro Steel plant contributes more than a quarter of SAIL's profits. Worse still, if Bokaro's production is increased to 7.5 million tonnes as planned, then the reserves would be deplted even earlier. Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has been unable to start mining in other areas of its Kiriburu and Meghataburu leases due to delays in getting environmental and forest clearences from the Jharkhand government for fresh mining within its lease area.
Bokarao, which needs about ten million tonnes of iron ore annually to produce 4.5 million tonnes of steel, plans to increase output to 7.5 million tonnes within the next two years. Subsequently, Bokaro plans to increase production to 17 million tonnes by 2020.
SAIL wants to start mining at Kiriburu's South Block which has a reserve of 60 million tonnes of iron ore and Central block of Meghataburu, which has 80 million tonnes of iron ore.
SAIL has also run into difficulties to renew leases at Chiria mines to feed steel making at Bokarao and IISCO, Burnpur and to start a new factory at Sarikela near Monoharpur. In all steel output at these three locations is set to go up to 32.5 million tonnes.
UNI
