In an awkward inter-departmental exchange, the Odisha’s mines directorate has asked the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) to explain a Consent to Operate (CTO) granted to a plant that is at least three months away from being operational.
The CTO was granted to the plant in Matkambeda, Keonjhar, owned by PTCL Infrastructure, one of JSW’s logistic and transport partners, on 22 April’21.
The reason the Mines Directorate needs to know is because PTCL Infrastructure has been procuring iron ore through April and May, says the letter from Debidutta Biswal, Director of Mines, to Dr K. Murugesan, Member Secretary, SPCB. This, despite the fact that the plant requires repair and overhauling that will take at least three months for it to be operational.
“The plant does not have an electricity connection yet. Doubts arose when JSW Steel applied for removal of iron ore screened fines of 65% Fe grade to PTCL Infrastructure, which is a beneficiation plant,” says the 3 Jun’21 letter.
As to why such high-grade ore would even need beneficiation – a process to improve the ferrous content – is a question this particular letter does not ask. It does, however, request the SPCB to look into “whether there is provision in law to grant CTO without the plant being ready for operations” and whether due diligence had been followed in this case.
According to vessel line-up data maintained with SteelMint, PTCL Infrastructure exported 121,000 tonnes of iron ore to China in May’21.
Leave a Reply