Industries booked for pollution norm violation

The Orissa State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) has initiated action against 62 highly polluting industries in the state for violation of the provisions of the Air (prevention and control of pollution) Act, 1981 and Water (prevention and control of pollution) Act, 1974.

Out of these, while action was taken against 38 industrial units in 2008-09, the rest 24 units have been booked in the current fiscal.

OSPCB action mainly pertained to issue of show cause and closure notices. Show cause notices were served on 44 industrial units and closure notices on 18 units. These units belonged to 17 categories of highly polluting industries.

The industries which were issued closure notices include Maa Samaleswari Sponge Iron Ltd (Rengali), Pawansut Sponge (Jharsuguda), Seven Star Steels (Jharsuguda), L N Metalliks (Jharsuguda), Samaleswari Ferro Metals (Sambalpur),Viraj Steel and Energy Ltd. (Rengali), Beekay Steel and Power (Keonjhar), KJS Ahluwalia Steel and Power (Keonjhar), Rungta Mines ( Keonjahar), Maheswari Ispat ( Khuntuni, Cuttack), Eastern Steel and Power (Jharsuguda) and Bindal Sponge Ltd among others.

The show cause notices were issued to industries like Rana Sponge (Kulei, Dhenkanal), Sree Metalliks (Mukundapur, Angul), K J Ispat (Kalinganagar, Jajpur), Scan Steels (unit-II, Sundergarh), Prabhu Sponge (Jharsuguda), Nayagarh Sugar Complex (Nayagarh), Bargarh Co-operative Sugar Mills, Jindal Stainless Ltd. (Kalinganagar), Visa Steel (Kalinganagar), Vedanta Aluminium Ltd.(Jharsuguda), Patnaik Steel and Alloys (Keonjhar), Greewal Associates (Barbil), SMC Power Generation, Rathi Steel and Power and Aryan Ispat and Power Ltd.

According to chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who is also in charge of forest and environment department, action has been taken against 17 units for violation of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980. Out of them 8 units were located in Bonai forest division.

While penal compensatory afforestation has been imposed on Penguin Trading, Korp Resources, Essel Mining Industries (Barbil) and Orissa Mining Corporation (Kasira), confiscation proceeding has been initiated against the lessee of Bhanjpalli iron mines.

Similarly, the alleged encroachment inside the sanctuary by IMFA in Dhanurjaypur Chromite Mines and by Arjun Lodha in Balagunda iron and manganese mines is sub-judice.

While the alleged violations in Serenda-Bhadrasahi iron and managnese mines and Gandhamardan mines-B of Orissa Mining Corporation (OMC) and Tantra Iron Ore Mines of Korp Resources are under enquiry, Roida-C iron ore and manganese mines of OMC which is being operated by Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) is compounded for Rs 10,000.

About 35347.994 hectares were covered under compensatory afforestation against stipulations of 42,897.75 hectares of forest land for non-forest use in the state. Similarly, for mining projects, apart from 8816 hectares under compensatory afforestation, plantations over 1754 hectares have been taken up under safety zone plantation.