Nalco likely to lose a week's production

Kolkata: National Aluminium Company (Nalco) is likely to lose one week of bauxite production due to the Maoist attack on its Panchpatmali mines at the Koraput district in Damanjodi. The company is readying to resume operations at the mines by the weekend once security clearances are in place. With Orissa in the midst of polls from Thursday, security clearance for the Panchpatmali mines is expected soon. Nalco is also taking a host of steps to prevent further attacks like the one on Sunday night when Maoists stormed the mine area at Koraput. A senior Nalco official said, "Once the area is declared safe, we will resume work on Saturday in phases. This is the first time something as dangerous as these attacks has happened, which definitely shakes up employees working in the area." PK Mahapatra, executive director (mines and refinery) at Damanjodi, said, "The CISF has already stepped up deployment in the mines and we have started repairing the areas damaged during the (Maoist) raid." All senior directors of Nalco are visiting the site to communicate with employees in the aftermath of the attack. Nalco sources said that the company would not affected by the attack. Plans are afoot to work in extended shifts to make up for the loss in production. The attack has led to fear among people living and working around the area. About 500 employees, including officers, work in the Damanjodi mines, which have one of the richest reserves of bauxite in the world. A Nalco official said, "We have 4 lakh tonne of bauxite reserves at Damanjodi alumina refinery, which will suffice our operations for a month." The company has a smelting capacity of 34,5000 tonne, alumina refinery capacity of 1.57 million tonne and a power generation capacity of 960 mw. Nalco is looking to take its capacity for aluminium smelting to 4,60,000 tonnes, for alumina to 2.10 million tonnes and for power generation to 1200 mw under the second phase of expansion.