India’s Ministry of Steel has commenced consultations with its counterparts in other ministries to be followed by the seeking of cabinet approval, making use of galvanized steel mandatory in all construction in the coastal belt of the country, in order to check losses arising from corrosion, a government official said on Thursday, November 17.
The official said that this would be the first step towards making galvanized steel usage mandatory in key critical areas like construction, infrastructure and automobiles, across the country and the focus on coastal areas was the start as losses from corrosion are highest in such areas.
In the first phase, consultations have commenced with the related ministries of railways, petroleum, road transport and the Indian defense forces and this will be followed up by preparing a report for approval of India’s cabinet of ministers for final approval, he said.
According to the government official, while such a stipulation would entail large-scale ramping up of supplies and production processes of a large number of steel and allied user industries, it had been thought prudent to start with infrastructure and construction projects along the coastal belt of the country.
The government had estimated that the country loses about five percent of its gross domestic product every year from corrosion and the resultant costs of replacement, which could be checked with greater use of zinc and galvanized steel products, the official added.