Pause on sugarcane crushing

BERHAMPUR: Rows of sugarcane-laden trucks in front of Aska Cooperative Sugar Factory speak volumes of uncertainty over latter’s functioning.  A molasses tank bursted last Sunday on the factory premises which led to the death of a woman and two children.  With the remaining three tanks filled to the brim with molasses, the authorities are in a fix as there is no place to store more after crushing the sugarcane.A distillery unit was set up with four storage tanks in 1972 to make use of the molasses, but the work had to be stopped for lack of permission from the Odisha State Pollution Control Board.   Though the factory authorities managed their liquor preparation by purchasing spirit from outside, no steps were taken to sell the molasses stock or maintain the tanks. Factory sources said over 100 metric tonnes (MT) of molasses is produced during the crushing period and if the distillery unit is allowed to operate, 40 MT can be put to use.Factory Managing Director Basant Behera said we are left with only one alternative that is to sell the stored molasses which would allow crushing of sugarcane.