A comprehensive Regional Environmental Management Plan (REMP) for the Angul-Talcher-Meramundali area is expected to be finalised in next 2 to 3 months.

Indian School of Mines (ISM), Dhanbad, entrusted with the study by the Orissa State Pollution Control Board (SPCS) has completed the study.

“ISM has submitted the draft report which is being studied by the OSPCB. The gaps in the report have been pointed out to the team and the final report is expected in about 2 to 3 months”, Baradakanta Misra, member-secretary, OSPCB, told Business Standard.

He said, the team was given areas located in the 40 km radius of Tentoi near Talcher for study. It covered the existing industries in the Angul-Talcher-Meramundali area and the upcoming industries, mostly the thermal power plants.

Though this area was declared as one among the 24 critically polluted areas by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the situation in this belt has improved recently due to a series of steps taken by the OSPCB.

Since the quality of air may deteriorate due to the setting up of more industries like thermal power plants, protecting the quality of air, water and soil in this area has become necessary.

The long term REMP will guide the existing and the new industries and all the basic requirement of the urban areas coming under the study has been taken into account, Misra added.

Meanwhile, the state government received 61complains regarding water and air pollution against small, medium and large scale industries in the state during the current fiscal. While 15 belonged to large industry, 45 units are in the small and medium sector.

Complains have been lodged against Bindal Sponge Iron Ltd., Hingula Coal Mines and Jindal India Thermal Power Ltd. located at Angul, ICCL and UMSL located at Choudwar, Biraja Steel and Power and Arati Steels at Athagarh, Maheswari Ispat located at Khuntuni, and Rana Sponge Iron at Perjanga.

Besides, complains against Steel and Lanco Power company located at Dhenkanal,Vedanta Aluminium and Jay Hanuman Sponge Iron at Raghunathpalli in Jharsuguda, Sterlite Sponge Iron and MSP Sponge Iron in Keonjhar district, Aditya Aluminium at Lapanga in Sambalpur district were also received by the government.

Among the small and medium units, Baragarh Rice Mill at Baragarh, Scaw Industries, Neelachal Refractories and Shakti Sugars Ltd, located in Dhenkanal, Balaji stone crusher in Ganjam district and Shakti Grinder at Baripada have been accused of spreading pollution in their respective areas.

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