Maharatna SAIL received Golden Peacock Environment Management Award for 2011

Maharatna Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) received the prestigious Golden Peacock Environment Management Award for the year 2011. The award was presented to SAIL in recognition of it’s initiatives and achievements in the field of environment management. The award was presented by Union Minister for Home Affairs Shri P. Chidambaram on 24th June 2011 in New Delhi. 

SAIL in the last four years the company succeeded in reducing particulate emissions by 52%, specific water consumption by 11% and specific energy consumption by 5%, and increased solid waste utilisation by 18%.   

SAIL in accordance with the National Environment Policy, built a management system at its different plants and units for further environmental protection, including acquisition of certification under ISO:14001. All major units of SAIL, covering both production and service departments, are ISO:14001 accredited. In addition, the townships of Bhilai, Rourkela and Salem Steel Plants have also been certified to ISO:14001.

SAIL effectively adopted waste minimisation strategies, including conservation at source, recovery and recycling, to manage the wastes associated with steel making. Extensive afforestation programmes have been carried out by the company in all its plants and mines to develop sinks for absorbing air and noise pollution.

SAIL spent nearly Rs. 90 lakh on a programme for ecological restoration of degraded eco-systems over a period of five years up to 2010. Under the programme, 154.42 acres of limestone mined-out area at Purnapani, 11.36 acres of iron ore mined-out area at Kalta, and 27.79 acres of iron ore mined-out area at Barsua were restored. 222,376 saplings at Purnapani, 24,000 saplings at Barsua and 12,000 saplings at Kalta were planted under the programme. An automatic solar meteorological station was also been put up at Purnapani as a part of the project.

The Golden Peacock Awards, instituted by the Institute of Directors, New Delhi, are presented annually under various categories.

The winners of the Golden Peacock Awards for 2011 were finalised by a jury headed by Justice P.N. Bhagwati, former Chief Justice of India and Member, UN Human Rights Commission, and presented on the occasion of the 13th World Congress on Environment Management.