Water crisis (since past 21 days) hits production at Bokaro Steel Plant (BSl), created an enormous monetary loss to the steel major. In the absence of adequate water supply, production in many units of BSl has been badly hit, production at Hot Strip Mill (HMS) has been stopped since 9 November, informed an official.
“Right now it’s difficult to estimate the actual loss, but estimated loss is in hundred crores”, added the official.
The water supply disrupted in BSl and Bokaro Steel township area on 2 November night after a bridge collapsed and a huge breach occurred in the Tenu-Canal few feet ahead from the Tenu-Dam from which water supplied to the BSl.
Since after the 20 days water supply yet to restore, amid conducting repairing work on the war foot basis. The plant management shuts down productions in HMS and other units from 9 November. There is an average production loss of about 10 thousand tons of steel per day from HMS, said M K Dhan PRO of BSl.
There is a good news for us today, by erecting steel sheets the embankment wall of the Tenughat canal was repaired, while several minor breaches which occurred latter has been repaired, he said. “Today water has been released by opening the dam gate at the level of 22 cm; about 14,000 cubic meters per hour water has been released through the canal against 18000 cubic meters per hour required for the plant”, added Dhan.
The water level in Cooling Pond is yet to reach the desired level. We hope the situation would be normalized and water supply would be restored within the next seven days If everything goes normal, said Dhan.
“Water crisis has hampered production, the actual revenue loss is yet to be assessed”, added Dhan.
Besides the revenue loss to the plant, residents of Bokaro are facing very hard time in the absence of adequate water supply, now they are getting water supply only once in 48 hours which might be continue till the end of this month, official sources said.