The overall plan includes installation of hardware, training and human resource development activities, as a major thrust area to create environmental awareness at all levels and to meet international standards in pollution control.
Speaking at a seminar organised by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, A K Mukherjee executive director of SAIL's environment management division said over the last five years, SAIL has already invested around Rs 950 crore to upgrade pollution control facilities in its plants and mines.
There is thus a continuous declining trend in pollution levels at all SAIL plants and mines due to the continued and concerted efforts made by the steel major towards prevention of pollution.
Environment issues will occupy an important role in all industrial operations in the foreseeable future and steel plants and mines will be no exception.
With the likely adoption of ISO 14000 in steel making process in advanced countries, the urgency to implement an environment management system compatible to developed countries is imperative.
He said, SAIL has recently introduced its environment policy as a first step in this regard.
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The steel industry falls in the list of 29 highly polluting industries as categorised by the ministry of environment and forests.
In an integrated steel plant a number of complex industrial operations like mining, raw material preparation, iron making, steel making and rolling are carried out through raw material handling plant, coal washery, coke ovens and by-products, blast furnace, sinter plant rolling mills and captive power plants.
All these processes contribute to various types of pollutants in significant proportions.
SAIL is thus committed to assessment of environment status at its plants and mines by setting up a state-of-the -art monitoring network for pollution control.
Others who spoke on the occasion included the managing director of ABB-ABL Ltd, Aloke Mukherjee
Niklilesh Banerjee of BOC and Kevin Bricknell director (India desk ) at the US embassy in New Delhi.