INDIA: Cement prices have seen a fresh drop in several parts of the country, led by the southern region. Chennai, which had seen price cuts two weeks ago after the Tamil Nadu chief minister’s intervention, has seen fresh cuts of Rs10-15 per 50 kg bag. The new prices are at Rs260-265 per bag for retail and Rs220-225 per bag for wholesale buyers. “The demand is not too high and the ministry is too sceptical of an increase in prices. Also, rains are acting as a dampener in the region,” a Chennai-based dealer said. In Mumbai, prices have dropped marginally by Rs3-4 per bag, thus for the region where Octroi is charged grade A cement has dropped to Rs256-258 for retail buyers and Rs246-248 for Grade B players. For buyers in the non-Octroi region like Bhayander and Mira Road, prices in both the grades are Rs7 lesser. Even in the eastern region, prices have taken a knock, with Kolkata seeing a reduction of Rs10 per bag in the last 4-6 days. The drop was led by Ambuja Cements and followed by all the major A grade players such as Lafarge, ACC, UltraTech. Currently, prices are down at Rs264-265 for wholesale buyers and Rs270 for retail. Andhra Pradesh, on the other hand, has seen a choppy trend. Prices have fallen by as much as Rs10 per bag in some parts of the state even as Hyderabad city has seen an uptick of Rs5 per bag, with retail prices going up to Rs 248 per bag for grade A and Rs 240-243 for grade B. In the wholesale segment, grade A is commanding Rs243 per bag and Grade B Rs 235-237 per bag. “The companies are saying that the wholesalers should sell at the invoice receipt that the manufacturers are selling at and not less than that. But the truth is that the demand is not high and the inventory with the dealers and stockists is also not high,” said a Hyderabad-based dealer. Rupesh sankhe, research analyst from Angel Broking, said, “AP is flat and in fact declining by Rs5-10 per 50 kg bag with retail pricing at Rs 220 per bag and wholesale for Rs210.” A major reason for the fresh drop in prices is oversupply in the southern market, while the western region is faced with a surge in incremental supply, which some feel could cause prices to drop further. However, a senior member of the Cement Stockists and Dealers Association in Mumbai said, “Cement prices have fallen just yesterday. Even though there is incremental supply which is coming in from South, first further price correction in southern markets will take place and then it will happen in Mumbai.” “The companies have indicated that prices can fall further and we should be ready for it, though they did not indicate the timeline. At present, the demand is very low from both the construction and housing segments.”

CHANDRAPUR: ACC limited, the oldest cement industry in the district, has finally closed its age old plant in Ghugus MIDC area following directives from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB). The board had asked the company to shut down its old plant by November 30 for repeated violation of pollution standards. 

The ACC cement plant with 0.9 million ton per annum production capacity was commissioned in 1976. The plant was under the MPCB scanner since last year, as a CPCB report had declared Ghugus area in critically polluted category and put the entire industrial cluster in Chandrapur at fourth place on national pollution index. 

Surveys carried out by field officers of MPCB's regional office at Chandrapur had found emissions from the plant were in grave violation of the pollution standards. Following such non-compliance with norms, MPCB had forfeited a bank guarantee of the company worth Rs 1 lakh in March this year. The board forfeited another bank guarantee worth Rs 5 lakh in August this year. 

During hearings at MPCB office in Chandrapur over the violation of pollution standards, the representative of the company claimed that they are all set to commission a new plant with capacity of 2.46 million ton per year in next 2-3 months and the old plant would be stopped altogether on the commissioning of new one. 

The company maintained that the pollution load will be substantially reduced due to state of art technology adopted in new plant. Still, MPCB regional office here had directed the plant management to close its old plant by November 30. Following the directives, the company closed its plant in Ghugus on Tuesday last. 

MPCB field officer AN Katole confirmed the closure of the old ACC plant. "We have verified that the company has closed its old plant in Ghugus MIDC during inspection on Wednesday. However, they have sought an extension for running the old plant from the MPCB head office and final decision would be taken by higher ups," said Katole. 

Samuel Sunder, the complainant against ACC from village Nakoda, however maintained that even though the plant is closed, the noise pollution created by the old 15MW power plant is causing grave disturbance to the residential locality within 50 metre of the plant. While the existing noise level is in violation of standards, the company has installed another 25MW power plant in its premises. 

Commissioning of this new power plant would bring more noise pollution for the people in Nakoda, he alleged. Katole agreed that the noise level in Nakoda is 63 dBA as against 55 dBA standards for residential areas and commissioning of new power plant of ACC would add to the voice pollution. 

Chandrapur, Dec 2: The Naxalites have once again resorted to violence and arson with the initiation of the PLGA week celebrated between December 2 and 7 in Gadchiroli district. A band of Naxalites burnt a road-roller deployed on the road widening work on Etapalli-Gutta road in the night of Wednesday. Sources claimed that around 100 Naxalites came to the work site in the night and set ablaze the road-roller owned by contractor Sanjay Khedekar from Etapalli.