TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: With a staggering one lakh metric ton of steel slag, besides uncontrolled smoke staring at the Cuncolim Industrial Estate, drawing flak from residents staying in the immediate neighbourhood, Cuncolim steel unit owners have set in motion the process to control the industrial smoke and also work out a mechanism to use the industrial slag for road making and for brick manufacturing.
If the president of Cuncolim Industrial Estate Association, Abhay Keni is to be believed, smoke billowing out from the steel units will be greatly reduced, if not stopped, within one year. “We want to see that the Cuncolim Industrial estate is free from pollution. Our duty is to see that pollution is brought to zero level,” he said, adding that steel units have volunteered to install smoke control equipments at the factories within a set time frame. “Ms Shraddha Ispat Ltd has volunteered to install the system manufactured by Ms Electrotherm (India) Ltd. The equipment will be installed by April and if the same is found successful, all the remaining steel units will go for the new system,” Keni said.
As far as the industrial slag is concerned, a consultant Ravindra Gorandiwar, engaged by the Association told the media there’s a misconception that industrial slag is polluting. “The industrial slag is non-pollution and can be used for road making. Already, the steel slag is being used for road construction in North India,” he said, adding that the industrial slag can be used for brick making with minimum investment.
Keni said his biggest worry is the 35,000 tons of hazardous waste left behind by Sunrise Zinc Ltd in the Cuncolim Industrial estate. “Even the fish processing industries have worked out a mechanism to stop discharge of waste water and stop foul odour,” he said
The Cuncolim Industrial Estate plays host to five steel melting units processing steel waste, besides two industries using manganese core as raw material and six rolling mills for building and fabrication purpose. Statistics dished out by the Industries Association shows that the amount of steel rolled in Cuncolim per day is 100 tons compared to 250 tons produced in the state.
The statistics further revealed that the amount of slag generated in Cuncolim per day is 12 ton per day compared to 35 tons generated in the state.
