post news network
Cuttack, June 23: The water of the Daya and Kuakhai rivers is highly polluted and unfit for human use, the Orissa State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) said in its report to the Orissa Human Rights Commission (OHRC).
The water, which is unfit for either drinking or bathing, contains high levels of coliform bacteria, OSPCB said in the report.
Advocate Nishikant Mishra had moved OHRC alleging that untreated sewage from the capital is being released into the Kuakhai and Daya rivers on the outskirts of the city, thereby polluting the water of the two rivers.
The rights panel had sought reports from OSPCB and the housing and urban development department in this regard. During tests of water samples from these rivers, the pollution watchdog found dissolved oxygen and biochemical oxygen beyond permissible limits. Coliform bacteria was also well above limit, making the river water unfit for even bathing, the report said.
At Manitri of Daya river, the coliform bacteria level is 61,317 in 100 ml water instead of the permissible limit of 500. At Kantika of the river, the coliform count is 74,908 per 100 ml, the report said. At Mancheswar and Hanspal of Kuakhai river the coliform bacteria counts are 5,552 and 26,642 per 100 ml.
OSPCB had earlier directed several departments and the Khurda collector to take expeditious steps to control the pollution in the water. However, this fell on the deaf ears of the administration, the petitioner alleged.
Mishra had also alleged that the pollution control board is also not taking any step to curb the level of pollution.
Thousands of people of Kanti in Pipli block, Harirajpur, Gotiputmatiapada, Rengala, Singhabrahmapur, Motari, Sauria and other panchayats of Delang block are dependent on Daya river.
Similarly, people of Trilochanpur, Kanas, Kalapadar, Depur, Gadasahi, Gadishapada, Dokada, Gadabalabhadrapur and Sahupada of Kanas block in Puri district have been suffering from skin-related ailments because of the water pollution, the petitioner said.
