The Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) has been facing water problem for quite sometime and is pressing for increased supply. Some of the critical operations of the plant have been affected, according to RINL officials.

Chairman and Managing Director of the plant P Madhusudan recently met the Chief Minister and urged him to ensure enough power and water.

Originally, in accordance with the agreement with the State Govt, RINL was promised 73 million gallons per day for the plant with a capacity of 3 million tonnes.

Insufficient supply The plant’s capacity has been doubled, but it is not getting enough water. RINL is running the plant by currently drawing 23-25 MGD against 30 MGD from Yeleru reservoir.

According to officials, the plant immediately requires 35 MGD for safe operations. Due to poor supply of water, some of the critical operations were affected.

By the end of the year, the plant will require 45 MGD so that water levels could be maintained in the reservoir for continuous safe operations at the plant for the 6.3 mtpa capacity.

For both the Greater Visakhapatnam municipal corporation and the RINL, supply from Yeleru canal has turned out to be critical. The VSP has been pressing for 32 MGD of water as against the current 25 to 27 MGD. However, the GVMC cannot increase the supply for a number of reasons.

Weak condition It is said that the weak condition of the bunds of Yeleru Canal prevents the steel plant fully meeting its needs.

“More water cannot be released because the bunds of the canal are weak and only 50 km of the canal is lined. If more water is released bunds may breach disrupting supply for a few weeks,” says a senior GVMC official.

If the bunds are strengthened the carrying capacity can be increased by 10 to 15 per cent thereby enabling supply of 32 mgd for VSP, it is learnt.

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