OREANDA-NEWS. June 27, 2011. Maharatna Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has received the prestigious Golden Peacock Environment Management Award for the year 2011. The award, in recognition of SAIL’s initiatives and achievements in the field of environment management, was presented by Union Minister for Home Affairs Shri P. Chidambaram on 24th June, 2011 at a glittering function held in the Capital. 

The Golden Peacock Awards, instituted by the Institute of Directors, New Delhi, are presented annually under various categories. The winners of the Golden Peacock Awards for 2011 were finalised by a jury headed by Justice P.N. Bhagwati, former Chief Justice of India and Member, UN Human Rights Commission, and presented on the occasion of the 13th World Congress on Environment Management.

Speaking at a panel discussion during the Congress on the theme of ‘Environmental Initiatives for Corporate Sustainability’, SAIL Chairman Mr. C.S. Verma said that the steel industry “is putting in concerted efforts and adopting a multi-pronged strategy” to minimise the emission of greenhouse gases and to achieve greater sustainable practices. Giving examples of SAIL’s achievements in this endeavour, he pointed out that in the last four years the company has succeeded in reducing particulate emissions by 52%, specific water consumption by 11% and specific energy consumption by 5%, and increased solid waste utilisation by 18%.    

SAIL has continuously been taking proactive steps in holistic environment management and preservation. The Corporate Environmental Policy of SAIL also emphasises upon the company “conducting its operations in an environmentally responsible manner, complying with applicable regulations and striving to go beyond”. In accordance with the National Environment Policy, the company has built a management system at its different plants and units for further environmental protection, including acquisition of certification under ISO:14001. All major units of SAIL, covering both production and service departments, are ISO:14001 accredited. In addition, the townships of Bhilai, Rourkela and Salem Steel Plants have also been certified to ISO:14001.

To improve the environment inside its plants and their surrounding habitat, SAIL has put in best efforts such as regular maintenance and consistent operation of air pollution control systems, effluent treatment plants, recycling of solid wastes and adoption of cleaner and environment friendly technologies. The concerted efforts have resulted in resource conservation, compliance to regulatory requirements, waste reduction, increase in green cover, etc. SAIL has effectively adopted waste minimisation strategies, including conservation at source, recovery and recycling, to manage the wastes associated with steel making.

Recently, SAIL’s Bhilai Steel Plant installed a 30 million litres per day (MLD) sewage treatment plant at a cost of approx. Rs. 41 crore using inhouse resources in order to achieve ‘zero effluent discharge’ target. The scheme is expected to reduce dependence on the Chhattisgarh government’s Water Resources Department for additional water requirement in future for BSP’s expansion schemes. The recycling of 30 MLD of treated water for industrial use will approximately save Rs. 3.94 crore per annum.

Joining hands with the Ministry of Environment & Forests’ Ozone Cell and UNDP, SAIL took up an umbrella project for replacement of carbon tetrachloride (CTC) used as a cleaning solvent by trichloroethylene (TCE) at six of its steel plants. The objective of this project was to phase out the use of 268 metric tons (approx.) of CTC being used at the Oxygen Plants and Electrical Repair Shops of these selected units for cleaning of storage tanks, electric motors, cylinders, piping, etc.