Titagarh Steel Ltd

Down here at Pa/1-B on 1st Avenue, the air always smells a bit like metal and oil. We are tucked away in the Foreman Colony in Kanchrapara. It’s a busy part of the North 24 Parganas if you know this side of West Bengal. Titagarh Steel Ltd has been standing here for a long time, right where the tracks and the old industrial yards meet. My morning usually starts with the sound of the heavy gates opening. It’s a big space but it feels smaller once everyone gets to work and the noise starts. The workers in the colony all know each other well. We walk to the local tea stalls for lunch and talk about the weather or the local news. West Bengal heat can be really something else, especially when you are working near steel, so we take our breaks under the fans. The building is old but it holds up well against the rain. We don’t bother with much decoration around here. The walls have some marks and the floors are worn down from all the heavy boots, but that just shows the amount of work we do. People come from all over the district to find us for their needs. It’s not hard once you reach the Foreman Colony area. We just focus on the steel and the orders that come in every week. There’s no big talk here, just the sound of machines and the guys calling out to each other. It’s been this way for years now and we like the routine of the shop.