Saloni Meghani

Tata Steel has blended two disparate ideas to crystallise the Jamshedpur ideal of an industrial township that's wedded to environmental consciousness

Preconceived notions of what an industrial town looks like are bound to take a beating in the face of the freakish phenomenon that is Jamshedpur. Here, the green on the ground is as dominant as the blue of the skies above, camouflaging the reality that this is steel-making country, built on the manufacturing ideal of output matching capacity rather than any environmental epitome of pristine nature.

Jamshedpur's triumph rests on its ability to artfully blend the best of two disparate, some say conflicting, ideas: industrial excellence and ecological responsibility. Tata Steel, the company that has made this possible, is recognised in the steel industry and elsewhere as the lowest-cost producer of the metal in the world. Not so well-known is the organisation's commitment to ensuring that Jamshedpur, its manufacturing hub, remains an exemplar of environmental consciousness.

This may explain why Siberian cranes migrate over huge distances every winter to come visiting at a cooling pond that sits bang in the middle of the Tata Steel plant. Assessing the impact of its activities on the environment is a continuous endeavour for the people at the company. Eco-friendly technologies are the norm rather than the exception.

Says R. P. Sharma, chief, environment and occupational health, Tata Steel: "Our capital investment in pollution-abatement solutions was in the vicinity of Rs 400 crore in 2003-04." At its captive mines and collieries Tata Steel ensures that the mined areas are reclaimed through forestation. In the run-up to the year 2000, the company initiated what it called the 'Green Millennium Countdown', the objective of which was to plant 1,000 trees every single day for 1,000 days to greet the new century. The company has had a success rate of 96 per cent in keeping these plants alive.

But Tata Steel's concern does not stop at eco-consciousness. It has gone well beyond basics to create a city that is today the pride of the company as much as that of its residents. The municipal service that Tata Steel provides to Jamshedpur, the only one in India, is ISO 14001-certified. The company maintains the residential quarters for employees, a plethora of wide, tree-lined roads, and multiple pockets of greenery in the form of open public spaces, parks and gardens. The newly formed Jamshedpur Utilities and Services Company (Jusco) has been set up to sustain and extend this agenda.

The Jubilee Park, covering 225 acres, was established by Tata Steel in 1957 to celebrate the company's 50th birthday. The park's vibrant flowers, tall trees and picturesque trails are supplemented with light-and-water fountains. Adjacent to the serene lake in the park is the Tata Steel Zoological and Safari Park. This is a magnet for tourists, as are green spheres such as the Bhetia, Hudco and Dorabji Tata parks. Less than 10 km from Jamshedpur is the biodiversity-rich Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary.

The people entrusted with the task of ensuring that Jamshedpur remains a model township are busy thinking up ideas to make the place better still. Says Sanjeev Paul, the managing director of Jusco: "We are working on a gift to the city to commemorate its centenary (which will come around in 2007). Also, the waste dump on Jamshedpur's periphery will be turned into an eco park."

Age may wither its residents, but Jamshedpur is aiming to get more beautiful as it adds to its years.

Uploaded in March 2005