Hindustan Zinc Ltd.

The smelter out here in Putholi is a big place and there is always a lot of noise coming from the machinery. It is a long way from the main city area, so most of us spend our whole day right here on the grounds. The air smells like metal and earth, and the ground is often covered in a bit of dust from the heavy trucks coming in and out. Working at the plant means you get used to the heat pretty quickly, especially when you are near the processing units. We have a lot of different sheds and buildings spread across the site, and it takes a while to walk from one end to the other if you don't have a vehicle. Most of the people working here are from the local villages nearby, so there is a lot of talk about the weather and the crops during lunch breaks. The post office at Putholi is where all our mail goes, and it’s a small operation compared to the size of the plant. Everything here is built for function, not for looks, so you see a lot of grey concrete and rusted pipes that have been through a lot. It is a steady kind of life, coming in for the shift and making sure the furnaces are doing what they are supposed to do. There is a certain rhythm to the work that doesn't change much from year to year, even when the seasons turn.