Distillery pollution goes unchecked in Umuri

JEYPORE: WITH the district administration and Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) allegedly turning a blind eye to pollution caused by the distillery at Umuri, locals have now decided to take up the matter directly with the State Government.

The people of villages under Umuri, Ekamba, Dhanpur, Randapali and Ambaguda panchayats in the vicinity of the distillery are all set to launch a signature campaign to register their grievances and submit it to the Government.

The villagers, for years, have been raising their voice against unrestricted pollution caused by the distillery. They allege that the noxious gases and effluents discharged by the industrial unit is putting the health and lives of people at risk in the region. Thousands of litres of liquor is being produced every day. The OSPCB had issued a show cause to the distillery in 2017 but no corrective measures have been taken so far. While the stench from the distillery is unbearable for people in the region, the untreated industrial effluent has been entering water bodies in the area. Locals said under its impact, fertility of farm lands located close to the distillery has also come down.

Sources in the administration said as OSPCB officials are not inspecting the distillery, it is brazenly violating pollution norms. However, Regional Officer of OSPCB, Rayagada, P Kar said the distillery is being checked at regular intervals.“The stench is a result of distilling molasses. We will soon conduct another inspection at the distillery to check pollution,” he said.