Cement, Energy and Environment July-Sep 2002

EFFECTIVE DUST CONTROL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AT BIRLA CEMENT WORKS AND CHITTOR CEMENT WORKS Dinesh Chanda, J.S. Kalra, M.K Mehta & M.S. Murugan Birla Cement Works and Chittor Cement Works, chitorgarh Through all-around measures, startingfrom the mining oflim(!stone, through its transport to and storage at the plant site, ending with the actual manufacturing process, the twin plants of Chittorgarh, Birla Cement Works and Chittor Cement Works, have controlied both fugitive and stack emissions to levels well below the statutory limits. Likewise, wastesproduced in and around the two plants are dL~posed ofsafely and imaginatively utilised. The article presents a succinct accountofthese measures along with vignettes oftheir actual working ..... Ed Improving environmental quality has always been a prime concern with the plant management of Birla Cement Wo rks (BCW) and Ch ittor Ceme nt Works (CCW) at Chittorgarh. To this end, the management' has been adopting with a lacrity state-of-art. machinery and systems .at considerable investment. Indeed, the plant has invested an impressive Rs 1289 lac on pollution control measures up to 2002. The various control measures taken in this regard are described in the followi ng paragraphs alongs ide the improvement resulted therefrom. Fugitive Emissions Control Min ing Wet drilling and use of hydraulic rock breaker constitute the distinctive environment-friendly features of the p lant~' mining of limestone. In conventional drilling, dust laden drill cuttings come out of the drill hole through the discharged air from the hammer at the bottom of the hole. Despite arrangement for collection of the dry dust through covering of the hole and installation of a mini cyclone/dust diverter, these were not quite effective. So, the plants switched over to wet drilling, an acknowledged method for dust-free drilling. In wet drilling, the drill machine is equipped with a water storage tank having an inbuilt water pump which delivers water directly at the bottom of the drill hole. The drill cuttings and the dust generated at the bottom of the hole are suppressed by the combined effect of the water sprays and the compressed air. Thus, th~re is effective wetting ofthe entire dust and dri II cuttings whereby practically no dry dust comes out of the drill hole. Figure I /Jigh-pressure no==les from top directing powerful waterjets over the limestone crusher hopper After primary blasting, normally 5-10 per cent large boulders result. These boulders, in turn, are drilled by jack hammer and the holes blasted by a secondary Figure 2 Atomised water ~prinkling on belt conveyors