PINAKI MAJUMDAR
Jamshedpur, Feb 24: A site for good quality minerals eluded Tatas at first.
The initial plan was to acquire iron from Lohara and coal from Warora in the Chanda district of Central Provinces to produce steel, but the quality of coal was found to be inadequate.
Jamsetji N Tata advertised in various technical journals in England, offering a reward to anyone who could develop a method of smelting the Lohara ore with Warora coke. The result was not encouraging.
The next site was found by Sir Dorabji Tata. Sir Dorabji Tata was on a visit to meet the commissioner at the Nagpur secretariat, but since the commissioner was not available, he walked down to the museum across the road.
Sir Dorabji was attracted by a colourful geological map informing about the magnificent iron ore deposits of Dalli-Rajhara.
Although the iron ore was of the finest quality, coking coal and water were not available; therefore, Dhalli-Rajhara was also discarded.
On February 24, 1904, a letter from Pramatha Nath Bose, the pioneering Indian geologist and paleontologist put Tatas on the right track.
Ritter von Schwarz’s report was the first stepping stone. The letter spoke of good quality iron ore in the Mayurbhanj state, and the availability of coal in Jharia.
A study was conducted on the supply of water from the two rivers – Subernarekha and Kharkai.
All these events led to the setting up of Tata Steel in a small village called Sakchi, now Jamshedpur.
“February 24 has great relevance for Tata Steel and Jamshedpur as the letter written by PN Bose on this day in 1904 led to commissioning of the steel plant in Jamshedpur. All credit goes to geologist PN Bose whose letter did wonders as it led to industrialisation in the country,” said a former senior official of Tata Steel.
