By IANS,
Bhubaneswar : State-owned National Aluminium Company Limited (Nalco) has reduced the storage of explosives at its bauxite mine in Orissa due to rising Maoist activities in the region, the company said Friday.
The company has reduced the storage of explosives at its bauxite mine at Panchpatmali in Koraput district, some 370 km from here, it said. Explosives are used in mining operations.
Maoist rebels had attacked the Panchpatmali mine April 12 and killed 10 Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnels guarding it.
“The stock of explosive material such as booster-explosives, which was around 21.75 tonnes one month before the April 12 Naxals attack, has now been reduced to 2.25 tonnes,” the company said.
“Similarly, the stock of column explosives has been brought down from 10.12 tonnes to 1.15 tonnes and that of ammonia nitrate from 3.95 tonnes to only 0.70 tonnes. The stock-holding has been reduced to one-tenth overall,” the release said.
Besides this, Nalco has also taken a number of steps to augment security arrangements in the mines and refinery complex at Damanjodi, 17 km from the mine.
“The strength of CISF has been increased from 417 to 682 personnel. More bullet-proof jackets with helmets have been arranged for the security personnel,” the company said.
Nalco is also exploring the possibilities of �blast-free’ mining methods.