Jajpur: The Jajpur district in June this year has received 28 per cent less rainfall in comparison to the corresponding period in 2019. More importantly the industrial complex of Kalinganagar situated in this town has received 64% less rainfall in June 2020 in comparison to what it did in June 2019.
According to a report of ‘Odisha Rainfall Monitoring System’, the industrial complex including Danagadi block, Duburi and Pankapal localities have witnessed normal rainfall only for seven days in June.
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“As the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) has no control over industrial units and rampant pollution is on in the region, this has resulted in inadequacy of rainfall here”, local intelligentsia opined.
A survey conducted by ‘Greenpeace India’ in January had revealed the five most polluted towns in Odisha. Among them were Paradip, Kalinganagar, Rourkela and Talcher respectively.
Residents of the Kalinganagar town have been forced to bear the brunt of rampant pollution for quite some time now. Now their problems have increased due to scarcity of rainfall. Spread of dust and other materials contribute to make Kalinganagar a severely polluted town. Poisonous emissions including carbon dioxide add to their woes polluting the air completely.
Man-made changes in climatic conditions have resulted in scanty rainfall in Jajpur district. Allegedly, low quality of pollution control equipments installed at several industrial units and the unholy nexus between SPCB officials with industrial houses have been catalysts in giving rise to acute air and water pollution in the district, locals said.
Inadequacy of rainfall has failed to propel agricultural activities in the district. Plantation drives are not being carried out by industrial units. A number of trees were felled a few days back by Brahmani River Pellets Limited (BRPL), while constructing a road within its campus.
Jajpur denizens alleged that, man-made changes in climatic conditions have had a direct bearing on scanty rainfall in June this year. It was forecasted that the district would witness 238.5mm rainfall in June. As against this, 10 blocks in the district have recorded 172.34mm of rainfall. Only Dharmasala block has crossed normal rainfall limits recording 239mm rainfall.
On being contacted, regional officer of Kalinganagar SPCB, Pramod Kumar Behera said, “The correlation between rainfall and pollution is a vast subject of debate. It cannot be expressed by simply taking into account the local pollution level. However, SPCB is on toes to control pollution in Jajpur district.”
PNN