OREANDA-NEWS. March 12, 2012. Tata Steel has taken yet another initiative towards mineral conservation and sustainable mining at its Sukinda Chromite Mine (SCM). Mr H M Nerurkar, Managing Director, Tata Steel, flagged off the preparatory work of the much-awaited Underground Mining Project during his visit to SCM on March 10, 2012.The event coincided with the celebration of 50 years of mining at Sukinda.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Nerurkar said the mining technology deployed at Sukinda had evolved over the years with state-of-the-art technology being adopted on every possible occasion. “Mining at SCM is fully-mechanised at present. The roadmap ahead is to operate underground mines. This will go a long way in conserving natural resources and, thereby, contribute to sustainable mining in the country”.

State-of-the-art trackless mine technology and complete underground mechanisation will be part of the technology backbone of the project.  Underground methods with 100 per cent backfilling of voids with paste will be adopted. Paste filling technology is the latest development in mine backfill technology which ensures ultimate compaction of voids underground, quick settling time and optimises ore extraction. This goes a long way in mineral conservation.

At present, SCM has a state-of-the-art Chrome Ore beneficiation facility, with a capacity of 6.5 lakh TPA, and is fully capable of meeting all specifications of the Metallurgical and Refractory segments. SCM is the only Indian producer of Hexavalent Chrome-Free Chrome Concentrate, made through a patented herbal treatment process that adds green credits to the organisation’s environmental initiatives. The mine provides a safe workplace for its workers and has won several national awards for safe operating practices.

SCM is the first mine in Asia to be awarded ISO 9002, the first unit in Tata Steel to be certified for OHSAS-18001 and the one of the first mines in the world to be awarded under SA 8000. In 2011, SCM won the prestigious JRDQV award. Representatives of Workers’ Union and large number of employees were present on the occasion.

The programme was also attended by Mr Partha Sengupta, Vice President (Raw Materials), Tata Steel, Mr Hridayeshwar Jha, Vice President (Odisha Project), Tata Steel, Mr A M Misra, Vice President (CSI & IR), Tata Steel, Mr Arun Mishra, Principal Executive Officer, Tata Steel, Mr Rajeev Singhal, Executive In Charge, Ferro Alloys and Minerals Division (FAMD), Tata Steel, Mr L S Divekera, General Manager (FAMD), Tata Steel and other senior officers and employees of the Company.