Orissa accepts NEERI interim report on Jharsuguda region

With an aim to prevent further pollution in the highly industrialized Sambalpur-Jharsuda belt, the Orissa government today allowed the Orissa State Pollution Control Board to implement the interim recommendations of the Nagpur-based National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI).

As a result, twelve aluminium and power projects in this belt now would have to wait till NEERI presents its final recommendations to OSPCB which is expected around December this year. The chief minister, Naveen Patnaik has approved a proposal of OSPCB in this regard, sources said.

“The new projects in the pipeline would be kept on hold till the final recommendations are made. Those projects would be considered only if the monitored data through institutional mechanism shows improvement in environmental quality, reduction in pollution load through preventive or control technology”, said an official.

The generation of assimilative capacity potential through proper mitigation measures would also be factored into before allowing the projects in the pipeline. Similarly, the expansion of standalone sponge iron plants shouldn’t be considered for grant of consent till the Environment Management Plan (EMP) is properly implemented. Besides, the mining projects in the area would be put on hold till further studies are carried out, sources said. Govt accepts NEERI interim report on Jharsuguda region&Tubro (L&T) at Jharsuguda.

Similarly, power projects pushed into uncertainty in this area included the 1320 Mw Ib Thermal Power Station (proposed 3 and 4 units) and the 1080 Mw Captive Power Plant (CPP) of L&T’s aluminium project at Bhadrapalli in Sambalpur district.NEERI’s final report.

The interim report has suggested various measures to minimise further impact on ground level concentrations of major pollutants like sulphur dioxide and Suspended Particulate Matters (SPM) in the area.