Jan 14, 2020
These new plan will help the govt to deal with the problems of storage of food grains as silos require only 30% less land as compared to traditional warehouses, which can function efficiently round the clock.
According to the officials, the government is in process to chart out new standards for building of silos by finishing off with the mandatory requirement of having railway connectivity next to the storehouses and grain godown.
These new plan will help the govt to deal with the problems of storage of food grains as silos require only 30% less land as compared to traditional warehouses, which can function efficiently round the clock.
The new structure will also integrate the ‘hub-and-spoke’ system in which various silos will be connected by road to a mother silo, which will have the rail connectivity. A major feature of these steel silos will be that they are fully automated, prolonging the life of grains. As built so, the new structure will also facilitate the construction of standalone silos.
“We are ready with the new model and it will be implemented soon. This relaxation will speed up the construction of silos,” a senior food ministry official directly involved in the development said.
As planned in 2018, initially the government will work upon creating storage capacity of 10 million ton.
“Around 12.5 lakh tonnes of silos have already been created in the existing model. Now, we will first float tender for the remaining capacity under the public-private partnership (PPP) model for a 30-year lease period. We can have more capacity installed as per the requirement of Food Corporation of India (FCI),” the official said.
According to the official, the delay in construction was FCI was finding it difficult to locate land connected with railway lines for construction of silos.
“We had engaged engineering consultancy company, which specializes in transport infrastructure, to suggest ways to transport food grains from silos without railway connectivity. The standalone silos will get the status of mandis also, so that farmers can sell their produce in the silo and the grains can directly be transported through roads to places with good road connectivity,” the official said.
“If the food grains have to be transported through rail, grains from silos will be first offloaded to the mother silo and then they can be transported through specialized rail wagons,” the official said.