Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh today urged the extractive industry to ensure that ecological balance is maintained in operations and disposal of waste materials.

Mega investments in extractive industries like oil and gas and mining have the potential to be a spring board for overall development, the Minister said.

However, at times, issues “like ... impact on the surrounding communities, pollution and environmental catastrophe are associated with the industry,” Singh said at the National Extractive Industry and Sustainable Development Summit here.

The challenge is to achieve a balance to effectively leverage these resources for economic and social development and at the same time prevent the negative impact on environment, the Minister said. Playing with nature can be harmful, he warned.

For sustainability of the industry and nature, it is the duty of the government and also of organisations in this sector to apprehend this kind of imbalance, he said, adding steel companies have been asked to optimise the use of resources so that there is minimum wastage or zero wastage.

Singh said that for sustainable development, the government is exploring the possibility of scrap-based steel plants to utilise waste for steel making and reduce burden new resources.

Steps are also being taken to ensure that the steel industry needs minimum carbon footprint. Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL), under the Ministry of Steel, has recently set up a power plant that utilises waste gases generated in the plant.