THE FOOD CORPORATION OF INDIA, DISTT OFFICE MEERUT ROAD, SILO HAPUR

BULK FOOD STORAGE SILO

ELEVATOR PLANT AT HAPUR

There are four SILOs in India i.e. Calcutta, Madras, Bombay and       Hapur-Ghaziabad, in which Silo Hapur is one of them. The grain         elevator-erected  at   Hapur was received from U.S.A..  The               manufacturers of the equipment were M/s Butler Manufactoring Company of USA. The eraction was done by the Indians. The storage bins or silos have a capacity of 10,160 tonnes provided for storage of grain in bulk. It is the first time that storage of grain has been provided with  mechenical  operation for  receiving  and  issuing   out  grain  with  the  help  of elevators system on sceintific lines.

A plot of land measuring 31.9 acres was acquitred during the year 1956 for the purpose of construction of the grain godowns at Hapur, an important grain marketing  centre of  Uttar Pradesh.  The construction of  the elevator,  was started in September 1956 and was completed by June 1958. In addition to the elevator, mesonary godowns with a storage  capacity  of  55,500 tonnes  with  necessary  office  accomodation,  with the   provision of  open plinth (Cap Storage). Now the capacity of storage is increased upto more than one lacs of tonnes. Staff colony etc.,  were also constructed at this site.

                                                               The foundation which are of re-inforced  cement   concrete,  support the  headhouse  and  the twenty per-fabricated steel silos. The twenty two rail hoppers on one side of the silos parallel to the railway line and the two trucks dumps on the other side are  also in   reinforced  cement concrete.  The elevator  pit under  the   headhouse is about 24 feet deep below the ground and the grain comes here from the rail hoppers  as well as the truck dumps before it is lifted for storage or forother operations.

The superstructure consists of twenty cylinderical silos with a capacity of 508 tonnes each. Each of these silos is about 22 feet in diameter and 76 feet high and at the head  of these silo stands the headhouse which is 30 feet in diameter and 156 feet high. In the head house are  the grain  elevator,   auxillary  shipping tanks,  grain-cleaners, automatic weighing machines, man lift etc.

Silo elevator was inaugurated by Shri V.V. Giri, the then Governer  of U.P. on 21.02.1959.  Honorable Prime Minister Shri Jawahar Lal Nehru visited on  26.07.1961.  Many  VIPs   from  India   and  abroad  visited  and appreciated the system. As maintained properly for the last 41 years.

The value of the plant received is said as about Rs. 19 lakhs and the cost of erection is about Rs. 8.2 lakhs out of which, about Rs. 3.6 lakhs represent the cost of foundation and sub structure.

Grain arrives either in wagons through the railway siding provided on one side of the silos or by road on the other side. The grain is dumped into the rail hoppers or the truck dumps, as the case may be, and by means of conveyor belts, it is brought to the elevator pit. There the grain is lifted by the  elevator to the   height of 175 feet  and  after initial weight, it passes through the   cleaning  machines  and  then  to  automatically integrated   weighing  process, which indicates the quality of grain that has been fed into each bin. Then the garin drop on to another conveyor belt which convays it to various storage bins through Tripper.

For taking out the storage grains, conveyor belts are suitated  at the  bottom of the silos which takes  grain  to  the elevator pit from where it is lifted to shipping tanks. From here, it is automatically weighted  and  shifted  either  in bulk transport or to bags as necessary. There are automatic weighing machines and stiching machines for shipping out the grain in bags at the rate of 80 to 100 tonnes per hour.

The silos are also provided with drier tank along the side of the  headhouse  is  capable of handling  ten  tonnes of grain per hour and dries the moisture in the grain by heated air produced from an oil diesel burner.  The steel bins are also provided with electric thermocouple temperature cables and with the help of potentio meter. Temperature is recorded monthly, which enable a watch being kept on their condition of grain. The garins are also cool down by drawing in air by Aeration FANS when they get unduly heated. There is a provision of fumigation the grain, when necessary. The silo bins are proof against attack of insects pests or other kinds of infestation.

Power required for running of the  elevators   and  other  parts  of  the  plant  is  provided   by  three  diesel   electric generators, installed specifically for the purpose as a part of the plant. Each generator has a capacity of 100 K.V.A. Operation of the plant is controlled by a remote  control system  and   there  is  a  arrangement of inter  locking  and sequence control in the switch room panel.

ADVANTAGES OF GRAIN SILO ELEVATORS

1. Quicker handling of grain. The elevator is capable of handing about 180 tonnes per hour, for both the operations (Storage and Issue simulteneously).
2. Simultaneous storage of different kinds of grain, such as wheat, paddy, gram, bajra, maize in the different bins at the same time.
3. Machenical Operation. All loading, unloading, weighing etc. are done mechenically.
4. Long storage without deterioration or loss. There is no access to insects or rodents. Aeration and fumigation can be done when necessary to preserve the condition of grain. Grain can be stored as long as five years.
5. There is provision for thermocouple temperature record system in the plant itself.
6. Space requirement is less. The area of land is required for Silo storage is only about one fifth that of conventional storage godown.
7. Ful proof arrangement in respect of physical check of Food Grain stored silo in bins.
8. Consumption of fumigant is very nominal.
9. Saving of sacks (Gunni) & Skilled handling labourers at the time of storage.