The Hindu Business Line : Adani Agri-Logistics setting up silos

Ahmedabad, July 17 Adani Agri-Logistics Ltd (AALL), a constituent of the Rs 18,000 crore Adani Group, is setting up a modern foodgrain storage and handling facilities under exclusive BOO (Build, Own and Operate ) agreement with Food Corporation of India (FCI). The first base depot of it was inaugurated on Tuesday at Moga, Punjab.

Global Tenders

AALL was awarded this responsibility as it was the most competitive bidder for creating this facility for which global tenders were invited. These facilities are being set up initially for two circuits, a company spokesman said. The first circuit consists of Moga, Chennai, Coimbatore, Bangalore, while the second one will be at Kaithal, Navi Mumbai and Hoogly.

The first base depot at Moga, spread over 42 acres, was commissioned ahead of the schedule by Mr Alok Sinha, Chairman and Managing Director, FCI. The other base depot has been set up at Kaithal on 32 acres of land.

The entire handling of the food grains right from receiving at base depots, quality check up, cleaning and drying, storage, transportation to field depots etc is fully computerised and automated. This ensures long life and minimal wastage.

Monitoring System

The wheat quality will be tested for nine quality parameters like moisture content, foreign matter, live infestation etc on receipt at the base depot. This will be followed by modern cleaning and drying operations, through sieves, magnetic separators etc to remove dust, tailings and foreign matter.

The cleaned wheat will be stored in steel silos, which have on-line monitoring systems for temperature and insect monitoring system inside the silos. In case the temperature inside the silos increases, an automatic aeration system installed would start functioning.

A fumigation system has been installed for preservation of the food grains. The phosphine generator would uniformly distribute phosphine inside the silos in case of infestation, to ensure that the wheat is free from insects.

Foodgrains

The facility has fire-hydrant to combat fire, security cover with close circuit television system, watch towers, wireless systems and communication facilities. These would ensure that the inherent nutritional content of the food grains was preserved with safety.

The transportation of the stored food grain would be in specially-designed covered wagons, capable of handling bulk food grains, top loading and bottom discharge.

The food grain transported from the base depots would be stored at the field depots with similar preservation and storage facilities, in bulk form. The grain would be delivered to FCI both in bulk and bagged form as per the requirements of PDS (public distribution system) from the field depots.