Come summer, and the suffering of the residents of Hirma gram panchayat increases manifold. They can neither sleep inside their house at night due to intense heat, with the district recording highest temperature in the State, nor are they able to sleep outside due to fly ash pollution.
To add to the woes, there is water scarcity and even bathing gets difficult with the fly ash residues silting the water body making the water unfit for use.
In fact, the SMC Power Generation limited is a few among the industries which are currently operating in the district with other being closed for pollution.
And taking advantage of the fact, it has been flouting the law of the land leaving the people to suffer.
The officials are hand in glove with the SMC and even protest by the PRI members goes unheeded.
While there is no denying that fly ash has become a major health hazard and its disposal an uphill task, the SMC fly ash generated from its 42MW Capative Power Plant is simply dumped in the open over 27 acre of land in Kondajor. With no water sprinkling, the fly ash fills the air during summer making breathing difficult.
Hirma Gram Panchayat Sarpanch Anita Bhainsa said that villagers of Hirma Badmal, Tareikela and Harikrushnapur have long been complaining about the nuisance created by fly ash but none is listening.
He said that no water is sprinkled and along with fly ash, coal dust also fills their air.
Rabindra Dixit of Hirma said that they had not parted with land to invite disease for themselves and their children. He said that it is not development and informed that all the students of the village school located adjacent to the plant have developed respiratory disease.
SMC VP Ashok Taneja admitted that due to water scarcity, they are unable to undertake frequent sprinkling of water and parried the question of fly ash management citing breakdown in their plant since March last.
Contacted, Regional Officer of Odisha State Pollution Control Board Niranjan Mallick admitted that 196 tonnes of fly ash is being generated by the SMC daily and the fly ash management needs to be improved. He said that he will take action after he receives written complaint either from the Sarpanch or the villagers.