Jajpur: An ambitious plan by Kalinganagar regional office of Odisha State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) to create a special drainage system to ward off pollution in Brahmani river has fallen flat.
The proposal of the SPCB came up when a report based on laboratory tests of the water samples of the state’s second largest river was published in the media. Industrial effluent discharged from Kalinganagar industrial area finds way to Ganda Nullah and finally pollutes Brahmani and its distributary Kharasrota.
Although four years have passed since the plan was mooted in 2018, no step was taken by the SPCB on this drainage project, which is necessary for checking pollution in the Brahmani river and its distributary.
As per the proposal, a drain would be constructed from Duburi area along riparian pockets of Kharasrota river till Marthapur. An effluent treatment plant (ETP) would be set up at the tail end of the drain. Ironically, the proposal has been in pen and paper only.
There used to be many streams flowing from Badasuni hill via Kalinganagar area. The water of these streams gets accumulated on the premises of some industrial units as constructions come up on these water channels. The stream water gets mixed with various toxic chemicals used by industries. The industries drain out such water from their premises following which the water falls in Ganda Nullah and finally reaches Brahmani and Kharasrota rivers.
Tests of Brahmani water had earlier confirmed presence of harmful substances like cyanide and phenolic compounds.
Locals from various villages had protested in 2015 and moved a PIL in the High Court over the pollution issues. The petitioners had made the then chief secretary, the secretaries of the industries, mines, water resources, forest and environment departments, chairpersons of the CPCB and SPCB, collectors of Jharsuguda, Jajpur, Angul and Keonjhar parties to the case.
The HC in its order had sought measures to make Brahmani and its distributaries pollution free.
Thereafter, the SPCB had taken a decision to set up water treatment plants at four riparian pockets of Brahmani and Kharasrota.
In June 2016, Jharsuguda MLA Naba Kisore Das (now the health minister) had raised a question in the Assembly about online monitoring of Brahmani pollution. Four industries had been suggested to install online monitoring equipment on the river banks near their units. Rourkela Steel Plant was told to set up this mechanism at Brahmani river, Mahandi Coalfields Limited at Talcher, Bhusan Steel Limited at Dhenkanal and Tata Steel at Kalinganagar. However, the installations are yet to see the light of the day.