L&T has signed a contract valued at US $23million, with Lafarge Surma Cement (LSC) Ltd., Bangladesh, for construction of a 17 km long cross-national belt conveyor. It will convey limestone and shale from the mines in the hilly terrain of Shella Bazar, Meghalaya, to the marshy plains of Chhatak, Bangladesh, where Lafarge is putting up a cement plant. This is the longest belt conveyor to be constructed in India and is to be executed in 24 months by ECC Division.

Mr. K. G. Hariharan, Executive Vice-President (Indl. & Elec. Projects and Utilities), L&T-ECC, signed the contract on behalf of L&T on September 25, 2002 in the presence of a large gathering of dignitaries such as the Indian High Commissioner, Mr. Monilal Tripathy, the French Ambassador in Bangladesh, Mr. Michel Lummaux, the Bangladesh Minister for Commerce, Mr. A. K. Mahmud Chowdhury, Chairman - Islam Group & LSC Director, Mr. Monzurul Islam, and LSC's Managing Director, Mr. Yong Ngai Chan.

The scope of the turnkey project undertaken in association with AUMUND of France includes design, engineering, supply, construction, erection, testing and commissioning of the conveying system. The conveyor will follow the ground contour along its entire route and will have horizontal as well as vertical curves.

Two self-propelled vehicles for maintenance will move over the conveyor gallery. This will be closed to avoid outside disturbances. Location of the construction site near Cherapunji, which has the world's highest rainfall, will be yet another challenge to project execution.

Mr. A. Ramakrishna, Dy. Managing Director, L&T, reiterated, "On completion, this project will serve as a global benchmark for construction of cross-national conveyor systems in terms of length, location and logistic challenges - spanning hills, plains, marshland, rivers, canals and roads."