Sambalpur: Dumping of fly ash has become a major problem for people after the establishment of various industries in Jharsuguda and Sambalpur districts, sources said Tuesday. They added that residents of various parts of the Jharsuguda district were facing problems due to the dumping of ash. Now, however, the problem has affected people residing in areas under Jujumura tehsil of Sambalpur district.
Residents said that since fly ash is a major pollutant, it will create health hazards for the people of Jujumura. The problem is likely to aggravate in the future as an industrial firm has received permission to establish its dumping yard in Sadar subdivision. Already many parts of the Sadar sub-division have huge amounts of fly ash. The addition of a new dumping yard will only aggravate the pre-existing problems, people said. The dumping of ash has sparked fear over the loss of forest cover and the threat to humans and livestock.
However, transporters are having a good time and reaping rich rewards for dumping fly ash, sources said. People said that most of the dumping yards have been set up illegally and with the alleged involvement of politicians and influential people. Locals alleged that even when a company has the requisite permission it rarely follows the rules regarding dumping of fly ash.
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Sources said an ash dumping yard has been established at Niladunguri (Keshidera) area under Jujumura tehsil. The area is surrounded by a village. In close vicinity is the National Highway-53, a training centre of the Agriculture department, forests, and farmlands.
However, now all of them have a thick coat of ash on them. Most of the houses in the village have a thick layer of fly ash both inside and outside. People said that due to ash, land is losing its fertility and much of the forest cover has been destroyed. They pointed out that both domestic and wild animals are dying as the ash is affecting the habitat. The sarpanch of Kabrapali panchayat and environmentalists have lodged complaints before the district collector and the state pollution control board (SPCB) on this issue, but their concerns are yet to be addressed. Mystery surrounds the permission given to set up a new dumping yard in Jujumura.
Earlier, the Forest department had rejected the proposal of setting up a mega market in the same space where the dumping yard has now been set up. This happened after the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone for the market. People are questioning how the company got the clearance to set up the dumping yard which will cause greater pollution than any market.
In a letter (No 547) dated December 29, 2022, the sarpanch of Kabrapali panchayat even requested the district collector not to give the no-objection certificate (NOC) for the establishment of the dumping yard. However, it seems that his plea is on deaf ears. Locals have demanded a thorough probe into the issue by the SPCB. SPCB’s regional officer Satyanarayan Nanda informed Tuesday that he will look into the matter. He said that SPCB only gives permission for projects after clearances from the local tehsildar and district collector.