he Tata Steel Mining Limited (TSML) has partnered with New Delhi based the Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) to conduct water audits at five of its operational facilities in Odisha to ensure more efficient use of water and its conservation.
This will enable TSML to develop an integrated industrial water management strategy that optimizes efficient use of water and improves water productivity at its units. Additionally, the results of the survey will contribute towards the National Water Mission’s goal of improving water use efficiency.
TSML has also partnered with FluxGen Engineering Technologies, a Karnataka based company working on water solution, to install AquaGen mechanism to reduce water consumption.
AuqaGen is a SaaS (Software as a service) platform that will give a secure single window access system to digital data of the entire water infrastructure on parameters such as water flow, water level, and bore well water level.
To begin with, the company is deploying AquaGen at its Sukinda Chromite Mine in Jajpur and Ferro Alloy Plant at Athagarh in Cuttack district covering a complete value chain of ferrochrome making.
To ensure fulfillment of the company’s commitment of net zero wastewater discharge, the TSML has developed a 108 million liters per day capacity onsite Central Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) at Sukinda Chromite Mine (SCM).
The central ETP effectively treats 100% of the generated effluent and allows the company to reclaim up to 95 -90% of recycled water. SCM township has a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) that treats domestic waste water into treated water, which is reused for gardening, washing of machineries and vehicles – resulting in zero liquid discharge. The TSML is also working to install another central ETP of 1200 cubic metre per hour capacity for its Saruabil and Kamarda chromite mines in Sukinda.
TSML’s both the ferroalloy plants at Gopalpur in Ganjam district and at Athagarh have onsite effluent treatment plants that treat onsite process water. For its Athagarh plant it has already reduced its water intake by 0.50 cusecs.
The company has constructed garland drains around its plant boundaries and a settling pit to channelize waste water from jigging and hot metal cake quenching operations as well as surface run-off to the ETP.
The 100% recycled water is reused on-site in metal cooling and jigging for sprinkling water on the road and gardening. Both production plants have a sewage treatment plant that treat domestic wastewater. Treated water is reused for gardening purposes, making both the facilities zero liquid-discharge.