Chrome ore

The Sukinda Chromite Mine (SCM) is the largest open cast chromite mine in India, comprising 3% of the country's total chromite lease area. It is a mechanised, open cast mine which was the fist mine in Asia to get ISO-9002 certification for its quality systems.

Prospecting for chromite in the Sukinda valley began way back in 1949 when Tata Steel's Prospecting Division first bought the occurrence of chromite to light. The Company, after discovering the property, took a prospecting licence over an area of 7 square miles (1812 hectares) for a period of 20 years from the then Raja of Sukinda. After the abolition of the state, the mining lease area was vested with the State Government of Orissa in 1953 who ratified the mining lease for a period of 20 years and later, for another 20 years. The present lease holding of Tata Steel in Sukinda covers 406 hectares.

Chrome ore mining at Sukinda

Actual mining in SCM was started on a small scale in December 1960 to meet the requirements of refractory grade chrome ore using manual open cast working. The mine produced 5000 to 13,000 tpa of chromite till 1968. With increasing demand of refractory grade chromite, the production was stepped up to 36,000 tpa in 1969. Thereafter, the production from SCM was increased continuously and 93,000 tonnes was produced in 1975-76. With the introduction of mechanisation the production went up to 1.13 lakh tonnes in 1984-85 and became 5 lakh tonnes in the year 1994-95. During the course of mining, a substantial quality of low-grade one is generated. In order to conserve scarce chrome one, the Steel Company set up the largest chrome one beneficiation plant in India with a designed capacity of 1.08 lakh tpa, within its lease area in the year 1990. This plant has since also been ISO 9002 certified.

SCM has received several National Safety Awards in the Annual Regional Mines Safety Week celebrations along with a National Award from the President of India in 1996. SCM has been provided with a modern 30 bed hospital including an intensive care unit. The hospital provides medical facilities not only to the employees, but also, to the nearby villagers. Besides a recreation club for its employees, the other facilities that are provided by Tata Steel SCM include:

• Free accommodation, free electricity and free water for the employees.

• Schools inside the lease are given financial aid as well as scholarships for meritorious students.

• Parks and gardens have been developed for recreation purposes and free cinema shows are often arranged.

• A marketing complex, co-operative society and co-operative credit society exist for the benefit of the employees.

• Each year, medical camps including family planning camp, eye camp, etc are arranged for the employees, their wards and local villagers.

To take care of socio-economic development in the peripheral villages on a continuous basis, the Steel Company has set up an autonomous body called the Tata Steel Rural Development Society (TSRDS) which functions in all areas where Tata Steel operates, and Sukinda is no exception. TSRDS has extended health care to nearby villages by providing a mobile clinic, which distributes free medicines through local health workers trained by the Company's doctors. Besides, TSRDS has contributed in areas like installation of tube wells, agriculture extension, animal husbandry, forestry programmes, irrigation, sports and cultural activities, women's development, etc. Afforestation is regularly done in and outside the mining lease area, which not only contributes towards dust and noise suppression, but improves aesthetics as well. Income generation opportunities through poultry farming, establishment of piggeries, duster making, mushroom farming, etc. has also found a part of the work done by TSRDS in Sukinda. Details of TSRDS's activities in various other parts of Orissa are given separately.