Jajpur: Standing paddy crops on over 40 acres of farmlands have been destroyed in the last week due to alleged discharge of toxic water full of chemical effluents by three companies at Telibahali village under Danagadi block in Jajpur district, sources informed Monday. This development has pushed the farmers into distress as they ponder how to make up for the losses they have suffered. More importantly, it was close to harvesting time when the crops were destroyed.
In frustration, sharecropper Rama Chandra Jena set fire to the rotten crops that he had cultivated on 4.5 acres of land. On being informed, a team of scientists from the regional office of the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) at Kalinganagar visited the spot Friday and collected the toxic water samples for examination. Sources said the wastewater of the three industrial plants under Jakhpura police limits are being regularly discharged into Gonda drain. It has been happening for more than a decade now. The water full of chemical wastes also pollutes the Brahmani river, it has been alleged. Earlier reports from SPCB experts had also blamed the three companies for polluting both the Gonda drain and the Brahmani River.
However, to date, no action has been taken, except for the companies being served with notices at regular intervals. Locals alleged that the companies have failed to establish a common effluent treatment plant (CETP) for the treatment of wastewater. The Orissa High Court had ordered the construction of a CETP at the area more than eight years ago. However, no steps have been taken in this regard. The Odisha government is also not instructing the three companies to set up a CETP, sources alleged. Among the farmers who have suffered and whose paddy crops have been destroyed other than Rama Chandra are Bishnu Charan Sahu (two acres of land), Gobind Chandra Jena (3.5 acres), Nityananda Jena (two acres), Rekanda Munda (1.5 acres), Rabindra Das (4.5 acres), Jagabandhu Sahu (7.5 acres), Punia Munda five acres) while Rasik Munda, Tukuna Munda and Jogendra Das have lost crops on three acres of land respectively. They had borrowed from banks and private money lenders to raise the paddy crops. Now they are at their wits end regarding the clearance of their loans. Farmers said that the blocking of the Satabainsia nullah is the root cause of all the problems. Earlier chemical water used to flow through Satabainsia before entering the Gonda drain.
However, due to the construction of houses on many farmlands, the Satabainsia drain has been completely blocked leading to the stagnation of toxic water on farmlands. Farmers with folded hands requested compensation for the losses they suffered. They said that if that is not done, they will have no option, but to end their lives. They pointed out that despite repeated instructions from the pollution board the plants have not stopped discharging toxic water. When contacted, SPCB’s regional officer Pramod Kumar Behera at Kalinganagar said that action will be initiated against the erring plants, once the latest report of the samples comes in.
