: To prevent water crisis particularly during summer, the Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited, the corporate entity of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, has awarded the main package for construction of the Kanithi Balancing Reservoir-2 to L&T.
The L-1 L&T was mandated to complete the project in two years at a cost of Rs. 317 crore (taxes included), sources told The Hindu . Another package of electrical, pump house, piping and mechanical works will be tendered out shortly.
The KBR-2 is being constructed adjacent to the NH at a cost of Rs. 465 crore (both packages). The storage capacity of the KBR-2 will be 12.32 million cubic metres. The KBR-1 has a storage capacity of 16 million cubic metres.
Despite achieving international benchmarks in the consumption of water and emerging as one of the ‘lowest specific water consumption plants,’ the VSP faced the threat of a shutdown during this summer due to poor water supply from the Yeleru Left Main Canal and the Yeleswaram reservoir.
The RINL has completed its expansion of 6.3 million tonnes at a cost of Rs. 12,500 crore and is now in the process of stabilising and ramping up its production. It is adding one million tonnes by spending Rs. 5,000 crore with the modernisation and revamping of its units to take the overall capacity to 7.3 million tonnes per annum.
Thus, the RINL will need 45 MGD shortly to ensure uninterrupted production and safe operations. “The expansion and modernisation of VSP necessitated construction of another water storage facility to augment the water supply to the plant,” RINL Chairman-cum-Managing Director P. Madhusudhan said.
RINL has been impressing upon the AP government continuously on the need for continuous water supply to ensure uninterrupted operations, since RINL is the biggest PSU in the entire South.
Innovative initiatives
Originally, as per the agreement with State Government, RINL was assured of 73 MGD for the three MT stage plant. RINL is at present running the plant by adopting innovative initiatives in consumption of water. Visakha Steel Employees’ Congress general secretary Mantri Rajasekhar said the management should ensure that the work on KBR-2 is completed on a war-footing.
Steel Plant Employees’ Union honorary president Ch. Narsinga Rao said already there was inordinate delay in taking up work on KBR-2 and sought exploring certain natural reservoirs in Duvvada and other areas.
