The Telegraph reported that TATA Steel’s West Bokaro division has won second prize for excellence in management for rainwater harvesting and fourth prize for fly ash management in an award given by the Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board.

Mr Rupesh Sharma of TATA Steel said that hydro geological feature of West Bokaro revealed that the area was undulating with hillocks, stony land, sand stones and coal seams, with the Bokaro river hardly flows during summer.

He said that to sustain operations of West Bokaro, an open cast mine spread across 4,300 acres, it is imperative to make alternative water storage arrangement. He added that rainwater harvesting is playing a major role in providing adequate water reserves.

Mr Sharma said that the area was gently undulating and hilly. Because of the slope, water flows towards one side. He added that "The general slope is towards south and the ground elevation within the lease hold varies from 329 meters to 402 meters. The Bokaro flowing from North West to south controls drainage in the area. The average annual rainfall is 1250mm with 60% of the total rainfall occurring during the monsoon."

Sources said that because of hilly topography, natural groundwater recharging was very difficult. However, TATA Steel’s efforts in rainwater harvesting became successful. Water from open cast mine pit and river is being pumped out during the rains and stored in same abandoned pit. The capacity of the abandoned underground pit is about 400 million gallon. It comprises two bore holes, one for harvesting or collecting rainwater and the other for withdrawing water through bore hole pump.