The Hindu Business Line : JSW Steel’s greening scheme gives boost to jatropha

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JSW Steel’s greening scheme gives boost to jatropha

Entrusts daily farm work to NGO

Given the arid nature of the region, JSW is promoting the farm as a pilot project

S. Shanker

Mumbai, Aug. 21 In what started as a greening exercise now appears to be turning into potential carbon credits for JSW Steel Ltd.

Initially, expectations are that at least the locomotives within the steel plant could run on blended fuel. “We look forward to establishing an extraction plant here with local support,” said a senior JSW official.

Fifty acres of Jatropa in 2005 at the steel company’s plant in it 3,700-acre Vijayanagar campus has gone by another 70 acres in fiscal 2006-07.

This year efforts are on in gap filling — filling in the space in between the plants. About 3,000 plants have been planted so far. Normally, about 1,000 jatropha plants are cultivated in one acre with a 2mx2m spacing.

As direct sowing and transplantation for raising Jatropha is possible, the company has gone in for both, after establishing a nursery. The cultivation cost, including land preparation, seedling plantation and regular attention, had been taken care of during the campus greening exercise.

Given the arid nature of the region, the company is also promoting the farm as a pilot project for the local farming community and looks forward to produce bio-diesel in the days to come. Yields can be determined after three years. Roping in the local populace for the farming activity, JSW has entrusted day-to-day management of the crop, such as de-weeding, pruning and maintaining the recommended plant population, to an NGO. About 35 women and five men involved in the farming activity get about Rs. 12 lakh per annum for their labour. A major portion of the expenses incurred for cultivation had been taken care of during the greening process undertaken at the plant site.

Officials are keen to emphasise that once the farmers warm up to the idea of cultivating Jatropa on wasteland and farm boundaries there is no stopping. The company is also offering a buyback guarantee, in addition to coordinating with NGOs to propagate the advantages of the crop. The company is also in talks with the forest department and other government agencies to allot uncultivable land for Jatropha.

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