ROURKELA: Upping the ante against various iron and steel industries for violating pollution control norms, villagers of Kuanrmunda and Bonai industrial clusters in Sundargarh district have threatened to launch agitation if the situation fails to improve in 10 days.Sources said Kuanrmunda industrial cluster, situated about 18 km from Rourkela, houses about 20 industries including eight sponge iron plants besides induction furnace, fire brick and chemical units. These industrial units are accused of not operating power-intensive pollution control equipment, Electro Static Precipitator, to save cost at the expense of environment and villagers.
Youth Congress president for Birmitrapur Assembly constituency Rajesh Kerketta said he has given a written complaint to the Regional Officer of Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) and if the situation fails to improve in 10 days, they would disrupt vehicular traffic on National Highway 143 and also shut down the plants.
The Sundargarh district administration was also apprised of the suffering of villagers of Kuanrmunda block on January 29. As the industries are deliberately not operating pollution control equipment, the air is filled with smoke while black layers of fine burnt coal dust cover water bodies, trees and plants, farmland and roofs of house, Kerketta said and added that due to inaction of OSPCB, the situation is aggravating and several villagers have developed respiratory problems due to rampant pollution.
On Sunday, a group of women of Kendrikela village in Bonai sub-division had separately taken out a rally to the office of Bonai Sub-Collector Swadha Dev Singh in protest against pollution in the region. A dozen of pollution intensive sponge-iron plants of Bonai industrial cluster have made life miserable by polluting air, water and soil, the women claimed.They claimed that due to high pollution levels, several people have died of kidney disease while some others are suffering from the ailment. Kendrikela, Babunuagaon, Uparbahal, Deareikela, Pandarishila, Barhamusa and nearby villages are the worst affected of industrial pollution, they said. The Sub-Collector assured them of looking into the matter and taking appropriate action.
Stir threatened
A group of women of Kendrikela village in Bonai sub-division had separately taken out a rally to the office of Bonai Sub-Collector Swadha Dev Singh in protest against pollution in the region
The women claimed that Kendrikela, Babunuagaon, Uparbahal, Deareikela, Pandarishila, Barhamusa and nearby villages are the worst affected of industrial pollution
.jpg)
