Senior BJP leader Rama Chandra Panda recently submitted a memorandum to the Union Water Resources Secretary demanding immediate review of the groundwater use by the existing as well as upcoming industries.
Panda also urged for making it mandatory both for the existing and upcoming industries in coastal Ganjam to build up an alternative source of water for their daily need.
Panda said that, Titanium Products Private limited which inked a MoU with the Odisha Government on October 15, 2008 had obtained consent from the State Pollution Control Board on December 15, 2007 to establish a titanium mineral product at Kanabana near Chatrapur. The installation of the plant is underway.
This industrial site which is hardly two km from the sea shore is a saline contaminated zone for which the people of adjoining villages heavily depend on wells for drawing drinking water. As the plant is drawing heavy quantity of ground water, it severely affects the existing bore and deep wells of the adjoining villages by depletion of subsoil water table considerably making the drinking water crisis more intense, he added.
If no remedial actions are taken in advance to protect ecology and environment and to avoid further complicacies, it would jeopardise the drinking water sources of the native population in the coming days and both the human beings and the animals would start dying under the faster changing global climatic conditions, Panda cautioned.
The memorandum further said Brahmpur city is reeling under acute scarcity of drinking water as 35 MlD is made available against the actual need of 60 MlD and absolutely there is no scope for diverting water from the existing PHED system and the dried Rushikullya basin.
Hence, the scarcity of drinking water will continue to confront the citizens till a small height check-dam is constructed on the river course in a suitable site, the memorandum claimed.
Panda said, in the circumstances, a safe and alternative arrangement needs to be created to transfer flood water of the river discharged into sea through Rushikullya drainage. He also suggested that, additionally the two British time large water bodies in the revenue Mandal known as “ Karatali Tampada” and “Chatrapur Tampada” situated within a radius of 10 km from the industrial site and are connected to the Rushikullya River system (the only river of the district) can be interlinked to the sinks. Adequate flood water which is released into sea can be otherwise safely snatched and stored for use of public and industries.
Panda urged the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) to examine the matter before issue of approval for use of subsoil water table by the industry in area between the NH-16 and the sea.
He further pointed out that titanium products is likely to install settling tank in its premises for treatment of plant effluents/discharges and/or toilet, which unless properly protected may soak and intrude to ground water strata affecting the precious ground water potential in this coastal zone. Since the guard pond and neutralization pit are the important aspects of the progress, the same should be reviewed before commencement of the plant for safety of the local public as per the guidelines of SPCB including its mandate to obtain clearance from Ground Water Board for drawl of ground water, the memorandum stressed. The Ministry should ensure that, titanium products fulfil all the observations and conditions.