Q42
Geography (incl. West Bengal)Minerals, Energy & Industry
The Rourkela, Iron and Steel Plant is located in—
- a.Coal mining area
- b.Iron ore mining area
- c.Region between coal and iron ore mining area
- d.Damodar Valley
Answer: (B) Iron ore mining area
The Rourkela Steel Plant (Sundargarh district, Odisha), set up in 1959 with West German collaboration during the Second Five Year Plan, was located on the basis of proximity to raw material: it stands in the iron-ore belt of Sundargarh and Kendujhar (Bonai, Barsua, Kiriburu). Its coal comes from farther away (Jharia and Talcher), hydel power from Hirakud and water from the Koel and Sankh rivers. It is therefore an iron-ore-based location, not a coalfield or Damodar Valley location like Durgapur and Bokaro. Compare: Bhilai (Chhattisgarh, Soviet help) uses Dalli-Rajhara ore, Durgapur (West Bengal) had British help, and Bokaro (Jharkhand) Soviet help.