Rourkela: At a time when air pollution has become a global issue, as many as 97 highly polluting industrial units have been identified in Sundargarh and Deogarh districts alone.
According to the Orissa State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) sources, these units have been put under ‘Red’ category, a segment meant for industries involved in releasing maximum amount of toxic fumes to the atmosphere.
The units that release a little less smoke have been bracketed in ‘Orange’ category while those causing even less pollution come under ‘Green’ category, it was learnt.
As the pollution level across the globe has reached an alarming level, the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change and the National Green Tribunal (NGT) have taken the issue seriously.
The ministry recently held a meeting which was attended by the senior officials of 29 states and union territories. The officials were asked to segregate the industrial units as per the above three categories.
Accordingly, the state public accounts committee directed the OSPCB to detect such industries functioning in Sundargarh and Deogarh districts.
Senior environment engineer SK Panda asked HN Nayak, regional officer of OSPCB in Rourkela, to file a report in this regard.
In his report, Nayak stated that of the 258 industrial units functioning in these two districts, 97 come under Red category, 126 under Orange and 35 under Green categories. However, 68 of them – 13 Red, 41 Orange and 14 Green – have already been closed.
Three units don’t follow the OSPCB norms while three highly polluting factories have been served closure notices in the two districts, the report said.
The units under Red category are causing severe air pollution which affects the lifestyle of locals, observed the board.
The sponge iron factories of Kalunga industrial estate in Sundargarh and in other regions are major contributors to the rising pollution levels, OSPCB sources said.
As the polluting units have been identified, the authorities should take stringent action against them, locals demanded. PNN
