The State Government is not taking any measures even after Jharsuguda district and Ib Valley coal fields were included in 100 most polluted cities of the country declared by Central Pollution Board.
The factory managements are also adding to the pollution hazards by connecting their ash pond outlets to the Ib and Bheden rivers. With increasing fluoride content, the water of Ib, Kelo and lilari canal is getting polluted substantially which causes concern.
Realising the effect of pollution in daily life of the citizens, a memorandum was submitted to the Chief Minister through the district Collector on Saturday by the Jharsuguda Bachao Samiti for suitable action.
A protest meeting was organised on Friday near the State Pollution Control Board office here by the Congress and the NSUI. District Youth Congress president Rabin Pandey presided, while senior Congress leader Venugopal Panigrahi,Siddhartha Darker, Farmer Cell president Jagannath Jena, District Congress Committee vice president Girish Panda , Town Congress president Bharat Awasti and other senior leaders shared their views on the pollution hazards in Jharsuguda. They agreed on the general view that Jharsuguda city is being polluted by the smokes released by the factories without caring for pollution norms. They demanded that no new factories should be allowed in Jharsuguda anymore.