Bhubaneswar: Assembly’s Standing Committee on Environment Pollution headed by Speaker Surya Narayan Patro Tuesday asked Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) to create awareness among people to minimise air pollution.
Patro directed the OSPCB to flag off awareness ‘rath’ in towns and villages to create awareness on the hazards of pollution, global warming and the need to curb carbon dioxide emissions.
“Pollution is one of the most important subject to give emphasis now. Climate change, global warming, emission of carbon dioxide and effluent released from factories and use of plastic were discussed at today’s meeting,” Patro told reporters.
Patro said he has directed the SPCB to furnish details of the rules and action taken by them against violators who are releasing effluents in open environment.
Seven towns from Odisha figured in the list of 122 most polluted towns prepared by National Green Tribunal (NGT). The seven towns, which do not meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, are: Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Angul, Talcher, Balasore, Rourkela and Kalinganagar,
OSPCB member secretary Debidutta Biswal said, NGT has identified 351 polluted river stretches in the whole country out of which 19 river stretches are from Odisha.
