Covid-19: Emami Paper’s Balasore unit resumes production work

COVID-19: Emami Paper’s Balasore unit resumes production work

Balasore | 11th April 2020 | The Pulp and Paper Times: A part of Emami Group - Emami Paper, the largest manufacturer of Newsprint in India, and the only manufacturer in Eastern India and manufacturer of Multi-Layer Coated Board has resumed its paper production after obtaining the requisite permission from Odisha government.

The company began work in Balasore unit for the last one week producing newsprint and packaging board. Well placed sources informed The Pulp and Paper Times, “with a bare minimum strength of men power, we resumed the work in a very limited way. Majorly, we are producing newsprint according to customers’ requirements. Basically, we are partially operating newsprint production depends on the orders,”

“We also manufactured the packaging board for one or two days, but stop it due to logistic constraints and labour issues. We are only using our 20 to 25 percent men power with strict safety measures,”

“We are optimistic to have more clarity on various issues in the next one week,” sources said.

Earlier, Emami Paper Mills in Baleswar has shut its production due to the 21-day lockdown enforced to combat the coronavirus.

According to The Pioneer reports, The Emami Paper, a leading manufacturer of newsprint, writing and printing paper, and multilayer-coated board, has halted its operation on the ground of shortage of raw materials at its plant.

Under such circumstances, the company has asked its employees and workers to stay at home as part of precautionary measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

On the other hand, hundreds of trucks loaded with raw materials for paper production have been stationed by a roadside adjacent to the Emami plant. The drivers of trucks have reportedly fled the place out of coronavirus scare leaving the vehicles.

The company has sent all 3,000 regular and contractual employees on leave. Only 100 employees have been kept in the plant premises for uninterrupted water supply service, electricity, sanitization and maintenance.

The company with a capacity of around 2 lakh MT used to produce 800 MT papers (newsprint) and packaging board per day. With the plant’s closure, print media would have a scarcity of paper to print newspapers during the lockdown period.

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Emami Paper Mills PRO MK Padhi said that due to the restrictions on transport facility and cancellation of many orders, the company has closed the mill.

“However, we have requested to the district administration to allow the vehicles carrying raw materials stranded at different places to the factory,” he said.

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