Jajpur: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered for a probe into the water pollution in Sukinda mining valley in Jajpur district and directed the state government to supply safe potable drinking water to the residents of mineral bearing areas. Justice B Amit Sthalekar and judicial member Arun Kumar Verma from the East Zone Bench of the tribunal in Kolkata also directed the state government to submit an action taken report within four weeks. The green tribunal expressed its displeasure over the Central Groundwater Board authorities not filing a separate affidavit and asked to conduct a fresh probe into the contamination of groundwater in Sukinda valley and submit its report. The matter came up before the tribunal following a petition filed by social activist Mantu Das over contamination of groundwater due to chromium pollution in Sukinda valley.
In his petition, Das had alleged that 10-15 persons in Sukinda valley area have died of kidney ailments after consuming polluted water. The NGT registered a case (73/2024/EZ) and ordered a probe after taking up the matter for hearing. Advocate Shankar Prasad Pani pleaded the matter on behalf of Das. The probe highlighted presence of 0.015 to 0.117 mg chromium in groundwater of Sukinda valley. Presence of high chromium content was found in groundwater in Saruabila mining area. Sources said that the mining firms in Jajpur district are lifting water from Brahmani river for their use and discharging untreated effluents into Damsala nullah and other water bodies in the locality.
As a result, rivers, nullahs, ponds and groundwater get extremely polluted. Hearing the matter, the tribunal directed to constitute a fourmember special joint inspection committee and conduct a probe into the allegations. Accordingly a joint inspection committee under the chairmanship of Jajpur Collector was formed. The team comprised Kalinganagar ADM Lankeswar Amat, SPCB’s Kalinganagar regional officer Pramod Kumar Behera, scientist Abhijit Pathak of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and scientist Sinos PK of Central Groundwater Board. The committee members visited Sukinda mining valley and collected the samples discharged effluents of various mining firms and the groundwater for examination. SPCB submitted the examination report and filed an affidavit before the tribunal May 7, 2024. Toxic chromium was found in nine water samples collected from Sukinda valley during the hearing of the tribunal, July 7, 2024.
However, the Central Groundwater Board, which had a representative in the joint committee neglected in probe, the tribunal indicated during the hearing. Meanwhile, the tribunal has scheduled the next date of hearing to August 16, 2024.