THRISSUR: The first clay tile cluster unit under the Central Government’s industrial cluster programme is getting ready at Peramangalam near here.
The cluster unit, being established by 30 clay tile manufacturers in and around Thrissur, is expected to be commissioned within a month.
Talking to Express, managing director of the special purpose vehicle constituted for the purpose, Terra Tile Consortium Private Limited (TTCPL), K K Abdul Jaleel said that the unit would cater to the laboratories and the clay processing needs of the member units.
He said that though the total cost of the unit was initially estimated at Rs 5 crore, due to the escalation in the cost of materials now it is expected to cost Rs 7 crore. Under the industrial cluster programme, the Central Government will subsidise the cost of the project to the extent of 50 percent in addition to a 25 percent subsidy offered by the State Government. Participant members will bear the remaining cost.
Jaleel said that at the TTCPL a most modern computerised laboratory had been set up for checking the quality of clay.
This is in addition to a clay processing unit of Italian technology with a capacity of 300 tpd. The laboratory has been established with the support of the National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology(NIIST), Thiruvananthapuram.
The fully computerised high-tech clay processing unit is probably the first of its kind in the country, said Jaleel.
He said that the equipment was expected effectively relieve clay tile manufacturing units from the serious problem of clay shortage.
He said that the unit could process clay of comparatively inferior quality and use the clay tile waste generated in tile manufacturing units in the process.
Moreover, by using the clay processed in the new equipment the breakage of tile in the manufacturing process would be reduced to minimum.
Jaleel said that the TTCPL would provide the services of the laboratory and the clay processing unit to its members on nominal fees.
He said that other clay tile manufacturing units in Thrissur and other districts were waiting for the result of the performance of TTCPL for installing similar units.
Meanwhile, according to M S Sadanandan, general manager of the Thrissur District Industry Centre, more cluster units are expected to come up in the district soon.
He said that the process for setting up industrial cluster units of steel furniture, dyes, moulds, gold Jewellery, diamond, notebook and rubber was in progress.