AM/NS India’s letter to GMB Magdalla port for lifting steel slag sparks debate

Surat/Hazira (Gujarat): While the Surat district administration has stopped the illegal activity of lifting steel slag dumped in the 10-kilometer area on the Hazira seashore, ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India) wrote a letter to the Gujarat Maritime Board’s (GMB) Magdall port informing the steel slag material of AM/NS India kept at the area reclaimed by EBTL for onward sale after commercial auction process.

The Blunt Times published the story titled ‘Surat Administration Courts Controversy For Allowing Villagers To Clean Hazira’s Slag-Dumped Seabed’ where hundreds of trucks and JCBs lifted the steel slag from the Hazira shore. Following the report, the Surat district administration swung into action and stopped the activity of lifting steel slag at Hazira.

In a letter addressed to the Port Officer of GMB’s Magdalla Port in Surat (copy of which is with The Blunt Times), Ashutosh Mathur, Head Chartering and Port commercial of AM/NS India wrote that the company is in the know that various local contractors are approaching GMB Magdalla port office asking for the assistance in lifting steel slag material of AMNS India from the reclaimed area on December 13.

The steel slag material, which is a by-product of the Electric Arc Furnace of AM/NS Steel Plant is kept in the area reclaimed by AMNS for onward sale after the commercial auction process. The company will soon sell steel slag material as per AMNS commercial procedure and clear the area without disturbing the land parcel. The company has increased the security surveillance of the area to avoid any pilferation of the material, according to the AM/NS India letter. Darshan Naik, general secretary of Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) has demanded a thorough investigation by the State Government into the illegal dumping of steel slag on the government-owned land in Hazira by AM/NS India. In his letter to the district collector, Naik stated that AM/NS India has allegedly encroached upon the government land for the illegal dumping of steel slag and the direct sale of the waste material would mean a loss to the tune of crores of rupees to the state government exchequer.

Talking with TBT, Darshan Naik, general secretary of GPCC said, “The steel slag on Hazira shore is worth crores of rupees. In the last couple of days, some elements enjoying the support of the company, politicians, and a cabinet minister were successful in lifting millions of tones of steel slag. When it was reported in The Blunt Times, the activity was stopped. In the meantime, AM/NS India’s letter to GMB raises serious suspicion”

Meanwhile, AM/NS India’s letter to the GMB’s Magdalla port has raised many questions. First and foremost, why the steel slag was dumped on the Hazira sea bed, and whether any permission was taken from the State Government? Why the company did not take the initiative of clearing the dumped steel slag earlier? If the land in question is reclaimed land then why AM/NS India wrote to GMB for the clearance of steel slag and not permit outsiders to lift it? Who is responsible for the serious pollution of the environment and ecology? Is the reclaimed area under the possession of AM/NS India? Direct sale of steel slag by AM/NS India could mean a loss to the government exchequer.

AM/NS India, in its press statement issued on December 19, stated, “We have come across media reports about the lifting of illegally dumped steel slag from the Hazira sea shore. We would like to clarify that the said steel slag was dumped before AM/NS India took over Essar Steel in December 2019. We state on record that AM/NS India has not been involved in the illegal dumping of steel slag on the seashore or anywhere else. We also clarify that steel slag produced at the Hazira steel plant is being sold in the open market through a transparent auction process in compliance with all financial and environmental laws”

Darshan Naik said, “If AM/NS India has said that the steel slag was dumped illegally by Essar Steel then why they wrote the letter to GMB Magdalla port for lifting the steel slag? If it was illegally dumped by Essar Steel on the government land then it is the government property”