The regular movement of heavy vehicles handling coal in the Orient railway siding at Budhijam is creating dust pollution in the area. As a result, hundreds of residents of Gajpatinagar, Abhaypur, Kalinagar and Budhijam area are affected. The passing trucks release black dust into the air adding to the misery of the residents. After years of protest and agitation against the coal siding, the residents have yet to get a respite from the pollution problem.
Notably, many houses are located very close to the railway siding, where coal is unloaded from the coal mine. Only a road separates the residential areas from the railway siding. Because of the acute dust pollution, the people living in the area are suffering from allergy, nausea and cough and several other respiratory diseases.
“More than 36 wagons of coal being loaded by earth movers move daily from the area which is again a menace as this is adding to the dust pollution in the area. What is galling is school and college students have fallen victim of the pollution problem since many schools and colleges are located close to the railway siding,” lamented a few residents.
It is worth mentioning that even though suspended particulate matter (SPM), which is one of the key parameters of measuring ambient air quality, has exceeded five times from the safe limit of 100 micro grams in the last several years in the locality, no measure has been taken to curb air pollution.
Claiming that the Orient Mine management had taken all the necessary precautions, Orient Area GM BC Tripathy said, “We have sprinklers to settle the dust and we do regular checking so that pollution is kept under leash.”
The Pollution Control Board had directed earlier the Orient Area authority of the MCl to sift the coal siding from the area, but this has not been complied with as yet, said Regional Officer (RO) in-charge (PCB) Hemendra Nayak. However, he assured that his department will look into the matter soon.