How India lost the steel war

Elephants can’t jump. But dragons fly. Even as India’s Bhilai Steel Plant planned to get rights to mine a big iron ore reserve, China increased its steel production manyfold. But with Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh setting a 100-day target to get things moving, there’s hope.

1983, Aug. 30: SAIL and its Bhilai plant apply for iron ore mining lease in Bastar’s Rowghat that has 511 MT of ore. Steel production: China 40 million tonne, India 10 million tonne

1991: Eight years later, Bhilai gets Rowghat mining lease subject to environment and forest clearance. Steel production: China 71 million tonne, India  17 million tonne

1996, Jan. 16: Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) gives Stage 1 clearance, but SAIL is going through a bad decade. Steel production: China 100 million tonne, India 24 million tonne

1998: First agreement with Railways signed for Rajhara-Rowghat railway link.

2002: Rowghat now belongs to a new state: Chhattisgarh. With the market hotting up, SAIL starts pushing Rowghat. Steel production: China 182 million tonne, India 28 million tonne

2005: Third-party study of flora & fauna begins, as does Environment Impact Assessment and Management Plan. Steel production: China 356 million tonne, India 46 million tonne

2007: Mining plan cleared. MoEF gives clearance but matter goes to a Central committee as directed by the Apex Court. Steel production: China 490 million tonne, India 53 million tonne

2008, Oct. 13: The apex committee gives green signal. MoEF gives interim forestry clearance for diversion of forest land. Steel production: China 500 million tonne, India 55 million tonne

2009, June: The Union MoEF final clearance came on June 4. UPA government sets 100-day target.