A view of the damaged portion of the structure supporting the input material feeding conveyors, at the RINL-VSP on Friday.
A section of the RINL-Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) came to a halt at 2 p.m. on January 3, 2025 (Friday) after two conveyor belts (A1 & A2), carrying material required for the steel making process, broke down.
The conveyor belts broke at a height of nearly 100 feet. Fortunately, there was no loss of life or injury to workers as no one was present at the site at the time of the accident.
“However, the failure of conveyor belts has led to significant operational disruptions. Corrective measures have immediately been initiated to restore normalcy. A small portion of the structure supporting the input material feeding the conveyors to the sinter machine broke on its own, affecting the feed of sinter mix to the sinter plant. No human injuries have been reported during the incident. Keeping the safety and well-being of all employees as a top priority, efforts are being made to ensure that such incidents do not recur,” said an official spokesperson of the VSP.
The sinter mix includes iron ore, limestone, dolamite, coke, sand, among other materials.
Meanwhile, sources in the VSP alleged that the incident would affect steel production in the next four to five days.
The incident raised concerns among the employees about the possibility of such accidents in the future. Workers were worried about the implications of mechanical failures on the overall production in the plant and safety.
Trade union sources said they would take up the issues with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was scheduled to visit Visakhapatnam on January 8.
Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee leader J. Ayodhya Ramu said, “Lack of periodical maintenance of the conveyor belts, shortage of staff and lack of supervision of the process are the main reasons for the incident. We will bring this to the notice of the Prime Minister. We will also stage a protest at the offices of all the departments on January 4, besides organising ‘chalo Collectorate’ on January 6 (Monday).”
Mr. Ramu further said the plant had already reached a critical stage due to various reasons, including intermittent payment of salaries to staff and workers in the last few months and partial operations of blast furnaces. Shortage of coal and raw material, along with concerns over privatisation, added fuel to the plant’s deplorable condition, he added.
“The incident has created more fear among the staff and workers about the future of the plant. Local MPs, MLAs, and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu are being urged to apprise Mr. Modi about the deplorable condition of the plant, and ensure that the plant has golden days in the future,” Mr. Ramu told The Hindu.
Published – January 03, 2025 09:29 pm IST
