A day after BSL fly ash pond breach, pollution board inspects Bokaro village

Bokaro: A day after a breach in the embankment of fly ash pond of Bokaro Power Supply Company Private Limited (BPSCL), a power plant of the Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL), flooded the Rautdih village under Chas block, a team of the Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board (JSPCB) on Sunday inspected the village.
“We inspected the village today and will submit the report to the department on Monday. Action will be taken once the cause of breach of embankment gets ascertained,” said Ram Parvesh, the regional director of JSPCB (Dhanbad division), who led the visiting team.
Meanwhile, the district administration has made arrangements for food and temporary shelter for the affected villagers.
Chas sub-divisional officer (SDO) Dilip Singh Shekhawat said, “The breached portion of the embankment has been repaired and the flood water is receding. We have arranged food and water for the affected families. The administration will rehabilitate the villagers to another site as Rautdih is on BSL-acquired land, after the festive season.”
However, the villagers are laying the onus on the BPSCL, a joint venture company of SAIL and DVC, for the incident. They alleged that the BPSCL and BSL officials did not visit them.
The streets, houses and fields of Rautdih village were inundated, forcing them to seek shelter outside the village.
Suresh Kumar, a resident of Rautdih village, said, “It is due to the negligence of the company that the embankment breached for the second time in the past six months.”
Upendra Gope said the 13 wells located in the village have become contaminated. A hand pump was installed by Bokaro MLA Biranchi Narayan after the first deluge. But its water is unfit for use, he rued.
Makarnchad Rajwar lamented that his family has been rendered homeless, while Ravana Rajwar said the ration stocked at his home has been damaged.