Villagers take to streets against rising pollution

ROURKELA: Peeved over growing pollution in Kuanrmunda industrial cluster of Sundargarh district, the beleaguered villagers of the block on Wednesday disrupted vehicular traffic on the National Highway (NH)-143 for six hours. Hundreds of protestors, including women, under the banner of Kuanrmunda Citizens’ Forum (KCF), staged road blockade on the NH between Sankh bridge and Kuanrmunda check gate. As a result, hundreds of vehicles  remained stranded from 6 am to 12 pm on both sides of the NH. 

KCF leaders Rajesh Kerketta, Raju Tiwari, Ghana Debata, Trilochan Mahapatra, Sanat Padhi and Md Nadim said enough time was given to the administration and  warned of more agitations if the situation fails to improve.  Kerketta said Kuanrmunda cluster, about 18 km from Rourkela, houses nearly three dozens industrial units, including six sponge-iron plants, several Induction Furnace (IF) units, fire brick and some chemical units. Black smokes emanate from the chimneys of the industries polluting the air and black layers of fine burnt coal dust could be found on village water bodies, trees, farmland and rooftops.

Industrial pollution has become a threat to humans and also local fauna and flora, he added. Amid prolonged recession for the past five years, these pollution-intensive sponge iron plants have been running hardly with 30-40 per cent capacities and not using ESPs, back filters and equipment to save whopping electricity costs. Due to low production rate, the impact of pollution was not visible. However, with improvement in steel market conditions in recent months, the sponge iron units are running at full capacities, while the ESPs and back filters with no maintenance are  either damaged or are remaining jammed.

Regional Officer of Odisha State Pollution Control Board H N Nayak said several actions have been taken in Kuanrmunda, Bonai and Kalunga industrial clusters to keep pollution in check. In Kuanrmunda, Swosti sponge iron unit has been given direction for closure, while Govindam sponge iron has closed shop. Similarly, after inspections at Adhunik Metalliks Ltd, Khederia, Ganesh and another sponge iron plants, reports have been submitted, he added.Nayak said soon induction furnace units will be inspected and assured of adequate steps to contain industrial pollution.