SPCB told to check pollution in Kalinga Nagar area

Jajpur: Former Finance minister and adviser of Kalinga Nagar Mazdoor Union Prafulla Chandra Ghadei has urged the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) to take appropriate measures to control pollution in the Kalinga Nagar area which has taken a serious toll on the health of residents.

Ghadei said, quoting a survey report by Greenpeace India, Kalinga Nagar is in the top 100 polluted cities of the country. A number of factors are responsible for deteriorating air quality here, the major being the harmful emission from the 12-odd small and large-scale industries.

Besides, open-cast mining in a number of mines in the Sukinda Chromites valley has sharply spiked the air pollution level in the area due to emission from the open cast Chromites mines.

"Discharge of wastewater from industries in Kalinga Nagar and hexavalent chromium from the Chromites mines has damaged the nearby nullahs and water bodies. The local people are suffering from gastro, kidney, liver and skin-related ailments by consuming industries-sponsored polluted water. The threat is not restricted to human health only, but farmers are also witnessing extensive crop damage. The lands are losing their fertility due to discharge of wastewater from these industries and Chromites mines," said Ghadei.

The locals are apprehensive over the possibility of deterioration in the situation in future, the senior leader said, adding that the authorities should take steps on a war footing to reduce the menace.

He urged the SPCB to take immediate steps to decrease the pollution level in the region.

"The industries in Kalinga Nagar and miners in Sukinda Chromites valley are to go for massive plantation drive in and around their industries and mining and implement other rectification measures on a war-footing to curb pollution," he said.

Besides, the SPCB should find ways to decrease the pollution levels in the region, he added.