While agricultural production has been greatly affected due to less rainfall and shortage of seeds, standing paddy crops in the periphery area of the Nalco Smelter Plant in Angul were burned, dried and shriveled due to release of polluted water with poisonous chemical components into the vast paddy field of Kulad Panchayat.
State Pollution Control Board Regional Officer BB Dash said that that the poison waters have been released from the Nalco. While hundreds of affected farmers staged agitation over the issue, one Usharani Swain has demanded compensations for the crop damage. Nalco ED AK Roy said that he is considering the matter.