By CHATULA KANGALI –
NEELKANTH Group of Company, a highly diversified  Indian conglomerate will set up a lead processing plant at the cost of US$2 million in Masaiti District on the Copperbelt Province.
The company which will be called Neelkanth Metals will also be manufacturing PVC pipes for both local and the export market.
Neelkanth Metals Chief Executive Officer Girish Ayar said in an interview that the lead processing plant would be located next to Neelkanth Cables on Chilengwa Road in Masaiti District.
Mr Ayar said the construction of the plant would commence by the end of this year.
He said the plant was expected to have a capacity to process 300 tonnes of lead per day and a workforce of about 80.
“The Group has continued to diversify, we are now looking at investing in a metal plant that will be processing lead and manufacturing PVC pipes, the lead and the pipes to be manufactured would be both   for local and export market,” he said.
Mr Ayar said used batteries and scrap metal would be the source of raw materials for  processing lead.
Meanwhile, Neelkanth Lime has recorded an improvement in the sales of its product following the increase in the copper prices on the international market.
Mr Ayar who is also Chief Executive Officer for Neelkanth Lime Limited said mining companies who were the major consumers of lime had started buying the commodity.
“ We  have  recorded a peak  in the  sales  of  lime, when  the copper  prices  dropped, our  business  was affected  because   mining  firms had  scaled down their  operations,” he said.
Mr Ayar said the company was producing 2000 tonnes of lime per day.