Coromandel stays the course for Visakhapatnam unit expansion

The Visakhapatnam unit of Coromandel International has proposed capacity expansion at a cost of Rs 225 crore to raise phosphoric acid output to 1,000 tonnes per day at the existing Sriharipuram facility in the city.
"Coromandel is going to adopt best technologies available in the world to meet regulatory norms. The company has already sent the proposal to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) and the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board for approval," Coromandel's Associate VP sales and coordination (fertilisers) K Satyanarayana said here last night at a press meet.
He said a public hearing on expansion plans will be held in Visakhapatnam on December 8. The Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) study was conducted by an MoEF-approved agency.

"The study states that Coromandel had taken all steps to adhere to emission parameters and discharge standards as recommended by the authorities from time to time. As a result, the baseline environmental parameters are observed to be well within the limits," he added.
According to the official, the proposed expansion project has potential to generate direct and indirect jobs of close to 275.
Satyanarayana said demonetisation has hit the agriculture sector very hard as the fertiliser offtake has come down "drastically". Its consumption in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana is 35 lakh tonnes per year for kharif and rabi seasons.

"Usually, by this time of the year, 5-7 lakh fertiliser is bought by farmers during the rabi season, but till now, only one lakh tonne has been purchased by farmers," he said.

So far, 5-7 lakh tonnes of urea are supposed to be purchased by farmers, but only 2 lakh tonnes have been picked up, he said.
Despite representations, there has been no relief from the government for fertiliser companies and farmers, he regretted.
"The Centre is asking fertiliser companies to sell product on credit basis, but the government is not releasing the subsidy to the company," he pointed out, adding that the government needs to release Rs 1,200 crore towards subsidy to Coromandel International.
"We are not against demonetisation. It is in fact good, but the government should consider the representations made by companies to protect the fertiliser companies and poor farmers.