Forest and Environment Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh on Tuesday told the Assembly that the Government has closed 475 stone crusher units in the State for violating pollution norms by January 31 this year. The Minister while replying to Congress MlA Tara Prasad Bahinipati’s question said the Government has already served closure notice to two industrial units and 743 crusher units for violating pollution norms.
Arukh said two industrial units, Inter Continental Tar Refiners Pvt ltd in Talcher and Enn Enn lPG Bottling Company in Koraput, were closed, but later consent to operate was given to the previous company after installation of appropriate pollution control measures. Replying to a question of BJD MlA Debasis Nayak on the Brahmani river, Arukh said the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) has been testing water of the river in a regular interval to know its status of pollution. From testing, the board found Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Total Colliform (TC) in the water of the river at its lower catchment areas near Rourkela, Panposh, Talcher and Dhenkanal.
To reduce the quantity of BOD and TC, the Minister said, board has directed the industrial houses at Rourkela, Talcher, Angul, Sukinda and Kalinganagar to release waste water after proper treatment. He said that the industries have already set up treatment plants to take care of the waste water. Minister further said the electricity companies situated on the banks of the river are directed to reuse waste water of ash pond and to install online monitoring equipment in the plants to monitor the waste water treatment works, he added.
Arukh also said sewage treatment plants have been established in the industrial townships at Rourkela, Nalco Township, MCl Township and NTPC Township to treat waste water.