VSP cuts output due to ore scarcity

Visakhapatnam: With the severe shortage of iron ore, Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited, the corporate entity of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, has reduced the production capacity from one of three blast furnaces ‘Godavari’.

However, the other two blast furnaces are working as usually. The highly places sources in the plant said that due to unavoidable circumstances, production from the Godavari furnace has gone down and maintenance works have been taken up at the furnace. The severe damage to railway track on the Kottavalasa-Kirandul (K-K) line has resulted in shortage of iron ore reserves at stockyard of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP).

Though the railway authorities have been transporting the iron ore in an alternative route, it is not enough to the VSP needs. As the raw material reserves have gone down, the management minimised the production at the blast furnace, the sources said. According to VSP sources, even as the steel plant needs seven to eight rakes of iron ore daily to support its production levels, presently four rakes are arriving every day resulting in shortage of stocks.

“Till the main railway track is restored, there will not be much improvement in getting enough raw material. However, the railway authorities informed that the restoration works will be completed before December 15. Meanwhile, the authorities assured to provide more number of rakes to run the plant,” senior official of VSP said.