Mines Ministry organises Workshop on Effective utilization of Red Mud

Union Ministry of Mines organized an interactive workshop called ‘Waste to Wealth’ in New Delhi for discussing productive utilisation of bauxite residue, commonly known as Red Mud. The workshop was presided over by Dr K. Rajeswara Rao, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Mines and was organised in association with Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research Development and Design Centre (JNARDDC) Nagpur.

Key Highlights

In workshop discussions were held regarding present status of generation, safe disposal and utilization of Red Mud. Mines Ministry urged all stake holders to work in synergy to find a lasting solution for productive utilisation of red mud.

Prepare a Roadmap: Deliberations were held to focus all efforts for effective bulk utilization of red mud with necessary government support, which will be a win-win situation for all stakeholders involved and based on these deliberations, a roadmap will be prepared for productive utilization of red mud.

Participants: Workshop was widely attended by representatives from organisations including Union Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Odisha State Pollution Control Board, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), Union Ministry of Road Transport, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Engineer-in-Chief of Army. Top executives from all 3 primary Aluminium producing companies in  India namely- NALCO, VEDANTA & HINDALCO and user industries like cement and ceramic industry also participated.

What is Red Mud?

It is a solid waste generated during Aluminium (Al) production process.

It is of high environmental concern due to presence of impurities like caustic soda and others minerals.

Globally of red mud is over 150 million tons and there exists a global inventory of over 3 billion tons. Red mud generation in India is around 9 million tons per year.

Month: Current Affairs - July, 2019