The National Green Tribunal (NGT) Kolkata has served a notice on the Bhusan Power and Steel ltd at Thelkuli Rengali for allegedly polluting the water sources of the nearby areas and also for alleged unauthorised occupation of the forestland for construction of an ash pond.
On the allegation of a resident of Jharsuguda town, Manmohan Singh, on the pollution by the Bhusan and the silence of the State Government machineries, the NGT as part of its action has taken this step against the company. It has also directed the State Pollution Control Board’s Sambalpur office to make a detailed inquiry into the allegation of Singh and the illegal activity, if any, of this company.
It is alleged that the company has made unauthorised occupation of the reserved forestland in Derba village for its ash pond. At the same time, it also releases its industrial effluents to the local water sources of the different areas. Singh has further alleged that the water of the Hirakud reservoir is also getting polluted due to the untreated effluents and water from the plant.
“I for the greater interest of the people and the water bodies of the locality keep watch on illegal activities of the companies and pollution in particular. I also wrote to the Collector of Sambalpur and the State Pollution Control Board earlier. When I failed to get any result from them, I knocked at the door of the NGT,” Singh said from Jharsuguda.
However, a senior functionary of the Bhusan said that they were yet to get a copy of the NGT notice. But the authorities of the PCB informed that they got the notice for a detailed report.