THE INDIAN CEMENT INDUSTRY- A PERSPECTIVE OF ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLINESS Indian Cement Panorama

Indian cement industry, which is 84 years old, comprises 120 large cement plants besides some 300 mini plants, with a total installed capacity of about 118 million tonnes and a production of 98 million tonnes (1999), comprising ordinary portland cement, blended cements and others. In an industry in its ninth decade of existence, there is naturally a spread in the age, technology and capacities of the plants but this has steadily been sought to be narrowed down by renewal,modernisation and expansion. Consequently,nearly 91 percent of the plants are based on the dry process technology with suspension preheaters and precalcinators, and 51 plants are of annual capacity 1 million tonnes and over, many of them approaching international benchmarks in specific thermal and electrical energy consumptions. Development versus Environment The past decade has witnessed industries the world over redefine their goals and perspectives to make their operations socially more acceptable and resource-wise sustainable, even while retaining and reinforcing their identity as vehicles of economic growth and national development. This is the latest paradigm shift in the continuing polemics of developmental priorities versus environmental imperatives. Preferred Pathways The various means and methodologies towards reducing the impact of industry on resource use and environment are best summarised in 'Agenda 21', UNCED's (United Nations Conference on Environment and Development) widely quoted publication, issued at the end of the Earth Summit 1992, in which 170 countries participated. They comprise 'more efficient production processes, preventive strategies, cleaner production techniques and procedures throughout the product life cycle, thus minimising or avoiding wastes'. All of these have been appropriately adopted by Indian cement industry