The Business Bytes
BHUBANESWAR, JUNE 19, 2024 (TBB BUREAU): Tata Steel has partnered with the Odisha Government to implement a sustainable agricultural initiative in the state. This collaboration aims to utilize industrial waste, such as basic oxygen furnace (LD) slag and fly ash, as soil amendments to reclaim acidic soils in Odisha.
The first consignment of LD slag was flagged off from Tata Steel’s Meramandali (TSM) plant in the Dhenkanal district on Tuesday. The flag-off ceremony was attended by Manish Devnath, a scientist at the National Rice Research Institute in Cuttack; Anoop Srivastava, Chief Environment Officer at TSM; Alok Ranjan, Chief IBMD Operations at Tata Steel; and other Tata Steel officials.
The project, titled “Economic and Environment Friendly Utilisation of Basic Slag and Fly Ash as Soil Amendments to Reclaim Acid Soils of Odisha (SAFAR),” is led by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research – National Rice Research Institute (ICAR-NRRI) in Cuttack, Odisha. This initiative is part of the Odisha government’s “Waste to Wealth” program, promoting a circular economy.
“We are pleased to collaborate with the Government of Odisha and ICAR-NRRI on this important initiative,” said Rajiv Mangal, Vice President of Safety, Health & Sustainability at Tata Steel. “By utilizing our industrial by-products, we can contribute to the reclamation of acidic soils and support sustainable agriculture in the state. This partnership aligns with Tata Steel’s commitment to environmental stewardship and promoting circular economy principles.”
Commending Tata Steel on the initiative, Ramesh Kumar Ekka, Senior Environmental Engineer and Regional Officer of the Odisha State Pollution Control Board in Angul, said, “Utilizing bulk-generated industrial solid waste like fly ash and LD slag has become a significant challenge for the iron and steel sectors. However, Tata Steel has taken a commendable initiative in collaboration with the Government of Odisha and ICAR-NRRI on reclaiming acidic soil with such industrial waste in the districts of Dhenkanal, Angul, and Jajpur.”
Tata Steel will provide the necessary quantities of LD slag and fly ash generated in its integrated iron and steel plants for use as soil amendments in targeted districts of Odisha, including Dhenkanal, Angul, and Jajpur. The soil amendments will be produced and distributed in two phases—before the Kharif season and Rabi season—ensuring availability to farmers during critical planting periods.
The project has received approval from the State Pollution Control Board, Odisha, in accordance with the Fly Ash Notification and Central Pollution Control Board guidelines on the management of pyro-metallurgical slags.
