Recently, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked the Odisha Pollution Control Board (OPCB) to furnish a report on the steps taken against the industries polluting the water of the river Brahmani.
Prior to this, the NHRC had sought a report from the board in the matter of pollution of the river, where the board had admitted that a few industries were polluting the river.
A team of experts formed by the board to investigate the allegations of pollution made against industries on the bank of the river pointed a finger at firms like the Nilachala Ispat Corporation limited, Jindal Steels limited and Bhusan Steels limited among others for polluting the river water by discharging waste in which cyanide poison is present.
It is inimical to the whole biodiversity of aquatic and non aquatic creatures, which are associated with river bodies. The experts suggested a few steps to minimise cyanide pollution to a permissible limit of 0.05 mg per litre of water. However, the polluting firms are yet to follow the instruction.
Not only river Brahmani, but several other major and minor rivers of the State are polluted by the industries of the State as no adequate steps have been taken by the respective administrations and the pollution control board to check the pollution.
The Forest and Environment department is responsible to protect the environment from pollutions of all kinds. However, it is dormant and has failed to take concrete action to check pollution. None of the industries seems to be following the environment, biodiversity and wildlife laws applicable for safeguarding ecology. The river pollutions have led to fast depletion of the aquatic creatures and avifauna of the region as well as destruction of the food chain of the entre biodiversity.
Bramhani is the most polluted river of India and Asia. The interstate river has originated from Chhotnagapur plateau and enters into Odisha through Sundargarh district. Its total length is 701km. The river has two main tributaries such as Sankha and Koel and both meet at Vedvyasa near Rourkela, which is the main source of water of the Rourkela steel city. It has also several other tributaries, which feed the main river at the Rengali gorge. They are Gohira, Tikira, Kurali, Mankada, Samakoi and Ramila. At Rengali, a hydel power cum irrigation project has been established for irrigation of agricultural fields of Angul, Dhenkanal and several adjoining districts.
The Rengali dam bridges two hillocks in opposite directions of the banks of the river in the north and south. When Machhakundan hill is present on the north bank of the river at Rengali, the Saleimode hill is present on south bank of the stream. Both these two hillocks are bridged together at Rengali to form the dam with the provision of irrigation facilities.
Similarly, the Sankh and Mandira supply water to the steel plant of Rourkela and its township. The upper middle reaches of Brahmani stream passes through Talcher –Kaniha- Nalco. Streamlets like Gohira and Nandira join the river here. From there, the river flows down through Hindol sub- division and Dhenkanal Sadar sub division. The river is subjected to huge dumping of industrial waste and sewerage water of scores of small and big industries near the river. Then the stream moves eastward and passes through Bhuban tehsil of Dhenkanal before joining Jajpur road. The industrial hub of Kalingnagar gravely pollutes the river by releasing industrial wastes. The pollution of the river starts from Rourkela steel city itself, where all the garbage of the steel city gets released into the river. The river Brahmani meets the Bay of Bengal at Dhamara. The sedimentary action of Brahmani, Birupa and Kharasuan form the Wheeler Islands.
Not only the Brahmani river, the other prominent rivers of Odisha like the Mahanadi and the Baitarani rivers are also immensely polluted for the industrial activities. The Baitarani river originates from the Kendujhar plateau. It has many small and large tributaries from the point of its origin till Anandpur. The river meets the Bay of Bengal at Chandbali and forms a common mouth, joining with river Brahmani at the end. The river is also polluted through the industrial waste released from Daitari, Kalinganagar and Jajpur Road industrial cum mining activities.
A majority of population of Angul, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Bhadrak and Keonjhar is subjected to suffer because of the pollution of water of these two major water courses of the State.
The common river mouth of Brahmani and Baitarani is highly polluted for the activities of the Dhamara port. The bay climate is variously disturbed by the activities by the port itself and the movement of ships, while the fishing trawlers continuously discharge oil and other kinds of chemicals.
The internationally famous Bhitarkanika wild life sanctuary, which spreads over 367sqft km is an oceanic turtle rookery. A large number of oceanic reptiles throng the bay for laying eggs. Not only oceanic turtles, but also different kinds of birds and animals lay eggs within the climatic region. But sadly, the bay is polluted by the activities of the Dhamara port and the fishing trawlers.
This is certain that the administration is taking various steps for controlling the mangrove pollutions where a rich biodiversity is present. The entire coast of Odisha, including that of West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, is highly polluted and hence, there is an urgent need to check pollution here.
(The writer is a former senior forest officer and an environmentalist)