IMFA is yet to receive permission to resume operations at its two suspended Chromite mines.
The Odisha State Pollution Control Board had served closure notices on two chromite mines of Indian Metals and Ferro Alloys (IMFA).
The notices had been served on IMFA’s Kaliapani mines in the Sukinda valley on the ground of violation of air and water pollution norms.
The said Company has re-applied for approval and is hoping to obtain the necessary clearance from the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) at the earliest, as they would ideally like to increase their mining output before the rainy season.
The pollution board is likely to inspect both the mines in the next 15-30 days, and ascertain whether the company has taken adequate measures to comply with the norms, before granting consent to operate.
Odisha contributes almost entirely towards chrome ore production in India. Odisha accounts for about 98% of the total reserves of the country, of which about 97% occur in the Sukinda Valley.
IMFA is India’s largest fully integrated producer of ferro chrome with 187 MVA installed furnace capacity backed up by 258 MW captive power generation. They produced 64,641 MT of Ferro Chrome in Q3 of FY17.
The two mines produced over 0.43 million tonnes (MnT) of chrome ore in 2016 out of the total chrome ore production of almost 4 MnT in India, according to data maintained by SteelMint.
IMFA dispatched 27,420 MT and 13,996 MT in February and March respectively from its mines to its ferro chrome plant.
According to Company sources IMFA has stockpiles of Chrome Ore that will last till June.
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