ToI reported that Steel Authority of India Limited’s Rourkela Steel Plant has closed down one of its sinter units and a boiler in the captive power plant on Monday after the state pollution board refused to allow them to function any more.

The pollution board had listed the sinter plant 1 and boiler as causing a high level of pollution and had ordered the RSP on December 19 to shut them. The board did so only after issuing repeated warnings to the Central PSU, keeping them under watch for over a year.

According to RSP sources, the closure will cut down its steel production by about 40%. The plant produces at least 7,000 tonnes of hot metal, 6,300 tonnes of crude steel and about 5,800 tonnes of finished steel daily.

Closure of the MP Boiler 3 will force the RSP to manage with just about 120 MW of power generated from its other unit of 1983 make in the CPP.

(Sourced from timesofindia.indiatimes.com)