Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) is observing August 2019 as water conservation month across all its Plants and Units. Standing firm towards judicious use of the every natural resource, the Nation’s steelmaker is committed to the Jal Shakti Abhiyan and has been taking specific measures to sustainably use this natural resource. SAIL has, through consistent efforts, achieved 75% reduction of specific water consumption over the last two decades from 15.03 m3/TCS in 1995-96 to 3.44 m3/TCS in 2018-19. This bears the testimony to the Company’s efforts towards efficient water management practices and commitment towards protection of precious environmental resources.
‘Need paradigm shift in water management’
Chairman, SAIL Anil Kumar Chaudhary, while launching the water conservation month in the Company said that, “water is one of the scarcest resources in the world today and the ever growing demand and deterioration of quality has made the availability of quality water a global concern. In this context, Government of India has decided to make water conservation initiatives as an Abhiyan. Looking at the gravity of the situation, there is an urgent need for a paradigm shift towards efficient water management, including extensive water treatment, conservation and recycling and most importantly our attitude towards water use.”
SAIL’s strategy for efficient water usage
Steel industry requires a large quantity of water for various processes of steel production. SAIL has been reusing and recycling most of the water required in these processes. Through various measures including localised re circulation of water through Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs),Industrial and Township Sewage Water Treatment and re circulation, plugging of leakages, rain water harvesting and implementing state-of-the-art technologies SAIL has brought down its water consumption level substantially over the years. It is taking proactive further steps to reduce it continuously.