Experts from industries, both in India and abroad, at a three-day international seminar concluded here today expressed concern over the possibility of environmental disaster if the increased rate of production in mining, processing and iron-making is allowed to continue without adopting green technology.
SAIL’s Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) managing director (MD) S N Singh said that the climate change had become the biggest environmental challenge that mankind was facing today. Sustainable development in mine planning, mineral processing and alternate iron-making through green technology was the need of the hour to mitigate the possibility of an environmental disaster.
The dignitaries, while addressing the seminar, mentioned that India was ranked fifth in global steel production with a turnover of 55 Mt in 2009-10 and it was poised to become the second largest steel producer by 2020 with targeted production capacity of about 200 Mt per annum.