Barbil: An environmental public hearing was conducted for the establishment of an iron ore beneficiation plant in Kolha Barpada village under Barbil Tehsil in Keonjhar district, Odisha.
The hearing was organised by the regional office of the Odisha State Pollution Control Board. The hearing commenced at 11 AM, chaired by Keonjhar ADM Ravindra Kumar Pradhan and managed by regional pollution control officer Prashant Kar.
Pradeep Dubey, Director of Dubey Brothers Iron & Metals (P) Ltd., delivered the welcome speech, followed by a detailed presentation of the project by Kalyani Laboratories. During the hearing, 23 villagers registered verbal responses, while 2 provided written feedback.
The residents expressed their support for the project, emphasising conditions related to education, healthcare, employment, and environmental protection. Of the required two acres of land for the proposed plant, 1.77 acres have already been acquired. The project aims to enhance the quality of iron ore, processing raw ore with 55–60% Fe content to improve its grade. The required raw iron ore will be sourced from mines in Keonjhar and Sundargarh districts.
The plant plans to process 150,000 metric tons of iron ore annually, producing high-quality ore for industries such as blast furnaces and DRI (Direct Reduced Iron). For social welfare, the project has provisions to spend ₹12 lakh annually on community development, including healthcare, drinking water, education, sports, and social programs. Additionally, ₹60 lakh is allocated for pollution control equipment, with ₹24 lakh set aside for maintenance costs.
The plant will require 200 kW of electricity, which will be supplied via the local substation or grid. The beneficiation process will utilize 45,000 liters of groundwater daily. Employment will be provided for managerial staff, skilled professionals, and unskilled laborers.
Officials present at the hearing included scientists and staff from the Pollution Control Board, along with Champua Sub-Collector Umakant Parida, Barbil Tehsildar Rakesh Kumar Panda, Barbil SDPO Debendra Nath Pingua, Barbil IIC Ashok Kumar Nayak, and other dignitaries. Additionally, three platoons of police personnel were deployed for security.
This project has the potential to play a crucial role in local development and job creation, provided that environmental and social concerns are effectively addressed.
