Steel, Oxygen Production Not Hampered In Eastern States Despite Cyclone Yaas

Despite cyclone Yaas ravaging the eastern coast states of Odisha and West Bengal, functioning of all major steel plants in both the states did not get impacted by it. Neither steel nor oxygen production operations were hampered owing to the cyclone making a landfall there.

Steel Ministry sources said that during a meeting held on May 23 to ascertain the impact of the cyclone (which was on the verge of making a landfall in Odisha and West Bengal at that time), where the concerned state governments and Union Power Ministry officials were also present, it was decided that all states which were dependent on Kalinganagar and Angul steel plants, would take support from Tata's Jamshedpur plant.

It has been confirmed that no power disruption was experienced by any steel plant located in Angul, Kalinganagar and Rourkela in Odisha. Tata representatives, who have plants in Odisha have confirmed that there has not been any impact of cyclone Yaas on the liquid medical oxygen production operations in their facilities.

Dispatches of liquid medical oxygen from all the attached oxygen plants in Kalinganagar, Jamshedpur and Angul continued as usual without any disruption, an official statement released by the Steel Ministry said.

There was a reduction in tankers reaching Kalinganagar as they were diverted to Jamshedpur. This was as per the contingency plan to counter the impending cyclone. SAIL plants at Durgapur, Burnpur and Rourkela were also well prepared.

The SOP for handling such situations was reiterated to all concerned officials and therefore no disruption of steel production or oxygen supply took place.

Similarly, private players like JSPL and JSW who have plants in Angul and Jharsuguda in Odisha were also well prepared and did not face any disruption during cyclone Yaas' landfall there.