Protest over rising pollution shuts down Talcher town of Odisha

TALCHER : The bandh over rising pollution hit normal life in Talcher municipal area on Sunday. The shut-down call was given by an outfit, Juba Samaj Sebi (JSS), with support of local BJP demanding a pollution-free Talcher.All the shops and business establishments including the main market at Hatatota remained closed on the day. However, vehicular traffic was not affected by the strike. The bandh was peaceful and no untoward incident took place, sources said.

In a first, coal mines were exempted from the bandh call, much to the relief of coal authorities. The town is being heavily polluted by hundreds of coal laden trucks which ply in the area on a regular basis. 
While the agitators are not demanding a total stop of coal movement on the road that goes through the town area, they want the process to be regulated and made pollution-free as the current situation has assumed alarming proportions, putting lives at  risk.

BJP leader Jajati Pattnaik said, “We want a green and clean Talcher by adopting steps to check pollution due to coal carrying trucks. People residing near the stretch from Bankadhra Chowk to Pabitra Mohan Chowk on the National Highway (NH) are facing acute dust pollution as the route witnesses a massive volume of coal traffic.” The bandh was successful and received total support from the people in general, he added.

Talcher Sub-Collector Mihir Kumar Mohanty said, “Efforts are on to address the pollution menace. A meeting was held in this regard which was attended by NH officials. Coal authorities have been asked to discuss with NH officials regarding the measures needed to contain pollution in the area.”