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This is an archive article published on December 5, 2021
Rice processing units in NCR belt protest single work-shift order
🔴 “There are around 450 to 500 rice mills with parboiling plants which include both basmati and paddy (non-basmati) processing units in the NCR region. Nearly 50 lakh to 60 lakh tonnes of rice is processed in these units.” said Vijay Setia, former president of All India Rice Exporters Association.
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The three steps for parboiling including 10 hours of soaking, 2 hours of steaming and 8 hours for drying with the entire process taking around 20 hours for one batch. (Representational/File)Around 500 rice mills in NCR are miffed at a recent directive to check the pollution level the region that allows industrial units to operate only up to eight hours a day from Monday to Friday. Claiming that rice processing cannot be halted midway and cannot be completed in 8 hours, these rice processors claim that their husk fired units face a temporary shutdown due to the order.
“There are around 450 to 500 rice mills with parboiling plants which include both basmati and paddy (non-basmati) processing units in the NCR region. Nearly 50 lakh to 60 lakh tonnes of rice is processed in these units. In addition to this there are around 25 sugar mills in the region which operate round the clock during cane crushing season,” said Vijay Setia, former president of All India Rice Exporters Association.
He said that “rice parboiling is a continuous process that you cannot complete in eight hours”.
The three steps for parboiling including 10 hours of soaking, 2 hours of steaming and 8 hours for drying with the entire process taking around 20 hours for one batch.
“Stopping the unit after 8 hours would mean to spoil the entire batch as fermentation will take place if we wait for 16 hours to run the industry,” said Setia, adding that instead of spoiling the food it is better not to run the industry even for 8 hours.
Setia said that the order reduced a three-shift industry to one-shift and is not workable.
“Our export commitments will not be met on time and we will not be able to return the money borrowed from the banks,” he warned.
Similar case is with the sugar mills, said experts.
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“When juice is in the process of drying we cannot shut the industry for 16 hours as cooling will spoil the sugar quality,” Setia said.
He claimed that a study report by Thailand University clearly establishes that husk fires creates much less pollution then the other fuels which are considered to be safer and policy makers are aware about this.
He urged the government to come up with concrete plan and avoid such kneejerk reactions.
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