SAIL achieves success on environment front: Verma

Steel Authority of India (SAIL) today said the state-owned firm has achieved 'substantial' success on the environment protection front through concerted efforts during the last six years.

"SAIL has been able to achieve substantial success on the environment protection front, which is a major criterion for sustainable development, through concerted interventions and efforts during the last six years," SAIL Chairman CS Verma said at a seminar here.

Stating that SAIL was using the foundation of sustainable development to become a global player, he said air emissions were reduced by 55% to 1.12 kg per tonne of crude steel produced by its plants in the last fiscal.

SAIL chairman also said that recording a 16% reduction, 'specific' effluent discharge of 2.5 cubic metre per tonne of finished steel had also been achieved during the period.

"With continuing thrust on solid waste management at the integrated steel plants, an improvement of around 16% has been achieved," he added.

SAIL, he said, has planted around 0.18 million saplings in and around its plants and mines during FY11, resulting in a cumulative plantation of 17.67 million saplings till date.

Meanwhile, SAIL was pulled up in the recent past by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) for emitting more carbon dioxide and consuming more energy and raw material for making steel than its global peers and domestic rival Tata Steel.

"On an average, 1.9 tonne of CO2 (carbon dioxide) is emitted for every tonne of steel produced globally. The average CO2 by SAIL and RINL during 2008-09 was 2.99 tonne and 3.18 tonne, respectively, against the average of 2.09 tonne of CO2 emitted by Tata Steel," the report had said.