BHUBANESWAR: With the Indian steel industry poised to take a giant step forward as investments to the tune of Rs. 3,00,000 crores were proposed in four States, mining experts here on Wednesday sounded an alert over `excess-exploitation' of high-grade iron ore.

Inaugurating a three-day national seminar on `Raw materials for iron and steel making - Indian Scenario' chief secretary Ajit Kumar Tripathy said, "Those involved in iron ore mining on lease-hold basis in Orissa are not following the best practices. Action plan must be prepared for better management and utilisation of iron ore."

Best suggestions

Recommendations of the symposium, which was attended by scientists, mining experts and steel industry managers, would be forwarded to the State Government as well as the Ministry for Steel and Mines for incorporation of best suggestions in future policies.

"The mining practice should be modernised. Both high and low grade of the ores have to be mined and utilised suitably. In India, iron ore containing less that 55 per cent of iron contents are rejected as wastes whereas in some countries it is valuable raw material," said P. K Jena, chairman of city-based Institute of Advance Technology and Environment Studies (IATES).

Four States, Orissa, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka, have altogether received investment proposals to the tune of Rs 3,00,000 crores with steels production projection crossing over 200 million tonnes per annum.

The expected year of completion for almost all projects as per memoranda of understanding is 2016. Orissa is leading the investment table with Rs 1,50,000 crore followed by Jharkhand with Rs 1,13,000 crores and Chhatisgarh and Karnataka have attracted Rs 54,000 crores.

High-grade

In India, iron ore is considered high-grade if it possesses 56 per cent and above of iron content.

"If cut-off value could be brought down from 56 per cent to 52 per cent, Orissa alone would gain 2,000 million tonnes of actual recoverable reserve. In the whole country, the iron ore reserve would go up to 20,000 million tonne if 52 per cent is accounted as cut-off for use of iron ore," mining advisor to Essar Steel Orissa Limited G. S. Khuntia said.

He said iron content in ore is as low as 30 per cent in USA, 50 per cent in China and 55 per cent in Sweden.

Mr. Jena said efforts should be made to upgrade the low-grade ores or blend those with high grade ones for maximum utilisation.

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