Jharsuguda district is home to several coal mines and power plants that cater to a large portion of Odisha's power need. But while the industrialisation has brought in jobs and development, it has also created massive pollution leading to numerous health hazards for the residents.
While forests are a potential source to contain the pollution menace, but compensatory afforestation has not been taken up in the district though lakhs of trees in large swathes of land were felled in last two years in the Talabira region for MCL coal mines and Vedanta peripheral area. The Forest Department has failed to plant trees despite showing huge plantation in records.
Jharsuguda and its bordering areas are dotted with many plants and mines including MCL's Ib Coalfields, OPGC power plant, Vedanta plant, Talabira coal mines, SMC Power Generation Ltd, Concast Steel, TRL-Krosaki, Ultratech Cement and Bhusan Power and Steel, among others. Consequently, transportation activities have increased.
Besides the emission from the plants, the coal-laden trucks are adding to the pollution load in the district. The houses, roads and roadside trees are covered with thick layer of coal dust. The quality of air and even the water supplied in the community has deteriorated due to fly ash discharged from power plants. The crops are also affected due to the dust pollution.
As fly ash contains harmful oxides, it affects human and animal skin, and causes stomach diseases, said environmentalist Deepak Patel. Not just skin related problem, the residents of the area are also affected by cardiovascular and lungs diseases.
"For a major part of the year, the air quality index of Jharsuguda remains in the red zone. Yet the administration remains apathetic to these concerns and pays merely lip service when it comes to combating the menace in the long term,” alleged IB Pariwesh convenor Upendra Jena.
The health of children in rural and urban Jharsuguda gets severely affected due to fly ash. Many experience breathing problems and develop skin allergies, he added.
Jharsuguda Chamber of Commerce and Industries president HL Lokchandani said, "The conditions on which the mines and power plants were allowed to operate in the district are being openly violated."
Environmentalist Mohammad Rauf alleged, "Mines and power plants are contaminating the river and weakening the basin and the authorities are paying scant attention to it."Jharsuguda Regional Officer (RO) OSPCB HN Nayak was unavailable for his comments.