Pollution notice to SAIL's mine, consent refused to OMC mine

Ambient Air quality monitors installed in Jharsuguda belt.

As many as 428 mines in 19 districts of Orissa have been identified by the state government to be causing air and water pollution.

Out of these 428 mines, the Orissa State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) has taken action against eight mines in Keonjhar district, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik informed the state legislative assembly.

These mines are Bolani Iron Ore Mine of the Steel Authority of India (SAIL), Balada-Palsa Jajang Iron Ore Mine of state owned Orissa Mining Corporation (OMC), Urumunda Iron Ore Mine owned by B C Agarwal, Laupada Iron Ore Mine of Narayani Sons Pvt Ltd, Inganijharan Iron Ore Mine of B C Dev, Roida-II Mine of K N Ram and Company Ltd, Jajang Iron Ore of H G Pandya, and Bhulbeda Iron Ore Mine of M R Das.

While show cause notices have been issued by OSPCB to six out of these eight mines including SAIL's Bolani mine, consent has been refused to OMC's Balada-Palsa Jajang mine and directions have been issued to Jajang Iron Ore Mine of H G Pandya.

Patnaik said, “According to a study conducted by the state pollution control board, there is no evidence of water pollution in the Jharsuguda belt due to the industrial units operating in that area. However, it has been found that the level of air pollution in some areas of Jharsuguda district has exceeded the acceptable level”.

The government has instructed the industrial units and mines operating in the region to keep air pollution under control, he added.

Moreover, ambient air quality monitors have been installed at the Badmala and Jharsuguda municipalities as well as Brajrajnagar to determine the level of air pollution.

It may be noted that Nagpur-based National Environmental Engineering Research Institute had prepared the Regional Environmental Management Plan for the Samblapur-Jharsuguda belt.

The state government had recently permitted OSPCB to accept the interim recommendations of NEERI.

Consequently, 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 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

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 is properly implemented.

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

The measures suggested include increasing stack height of sponge iron plants from 30 metres to 80 metres, de-sulphurisation of coal used by the industrial units and scrubbing of SO2 (sulphur dioxide) from smelters, furnace and DRI furnace.