NMDC to get ground water level study done at Bailadila mine

NMDC Ltd will get a study done to check ground water levels and also quality monitoring done of iron ore at its Bailadila Iron Ore project in Dantewada district of Bastar in Chhattisgarh.The study will be conducted for two years while extendable by another year, officials informed.

The company reported iron ore production (provisional) of 5.50 million tonnes (MT) from its mines in Chhattisgarh as on July 31, 2018.

It had recorded iron ore production of 4.78 million tonnes (MT) (provisional) from its mines in Chhattisgarh as on June 30, 2018.

The company is targetting to achieve 10 million tonnes of iron ore production per annum from each of its mines in Chhattisgarh by 2024-25, official sources informed.

NMDC Ltd has acquired environment clearance for its proposed Beneficiation plant at Bacheli in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, official sources informed.

Notably, NMDC's Ore Processing Plant at Bacheli will be interconnected by a Slurry Pipeline System between Bacheli and Nagarnar in Chhattisgarh, they informed.

The company which is also in the process of laying a 15 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA) slurry pipeline is executing the project in two phases.

The first phase is being executed from Bacheli to Nagarnar in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh at an estimated outlay of Rs 4,000 crore; and the second phase will be executed from Nagarnar to Vizag in Andhra Pradesh at an outlay of Rs 6,000 crore, officials informed.

Notably, to transport pellet feed concentrate from Bailadila to Vizag via Jagdalpur, the company will have the pipeline laid along the highways with a provision of partial off-take to feed its proposed 3 MTPA Steel plant coming up at Nagarnar.

NMDC is operating iron ore mines at Bailadila Complex in South Bastar Dantewada District Chhattisgarh and is having long term commitment for supply of iron ore to major steel plants across the country.

Hence, JV Company between NMDC and Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation (CMDC) i.e NMDC-CMDC (NCL) was formed for development of a new deposit in the already prospected areas i.e Bailadila Deposit-4 with a production capacity of 7 MTPA for meeting the iron ore requirement of upcoming Steel plant of NMDC at Nagarnar, near Jagdalpur.

NMDC Ltd started getting ground water levels checked as well as quality monitoring of water done in and around the project area of its upcoming 3 MTPA Integrated Steel Plant at Nagarnar near Jagdalpur in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh last year.

The monitoring is being done for two years at as many as 30 locations near the plant, officials informed.

Notably, the company is also making an expenditure of Rs 41.16 crore for enabling facilities needed for doubling of railway line between Kirandul and Jagdalpur and Jagdalpur-Ambagaon section for augmentation of iron ore evacuation from Bailadila mines in Baster region of Chhattisgarh.

It is also going for enhancement of production capacity enhancement of iron ore from 4.2 MTPA to 6 MTPA at its Bailadila Deposit no 10 in Dantewada district of South Bastar region in Chhattisgarh, officials informed.

The company has already commenced work for setting up the 2.0 MTPA Pellet Plant at Nagarnar near Jagdalpur in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, officials informed.

It may also be recalled that NMDC has proposed to use its mine lease area at Deposit number 4 located at Bailadila range of hills at Bhansi near Bacheli in South Bastar’s Dantewada district in Chhattisgarh for meeting the raw material requirement 'exclusively' for its upcoming 3 MTPA Integrated Steel Plant at Nagarnar, officials informed.

The remaining iron ore quantity after meeting the requirement of integrated steel plant at Nagarnar from  Deposit 4 will be sold to domestic customers in Chhattisgarh, they informed.

The Deposit - 4 iron ore mine will be developed as a 'standalone project' with an estimated investment of Rs 1899.74 crores.