Post News Network
Jajpur, July 15: Taking a stern action on discharge of toxic ash water by Visa Steel at Kalinganagar here over farmlands in adjoining Jakhpura village, the state pollution control board (SPCB) issued show-cause notice to the company Wednesday.
The SPCB also warned to close down the plant if remedial steps were not taken within a fortnight. The SPCB authorities further urged the district collector to send a team to assess loss incurred by the farmers following discharge of toxic water by Visa Steel.
The board in its letter has asked the company authorities to prepare an action plan to address the problem within 10 days, failing which the plant will be sealed without further notice. The incident happened June 22 when Visa Steel plant Kalinganagar discharged toxic water in afternoon. The water above five feet gushed through the roadside drain on Biju Patnaik Marg and overflowed over 200 acre of farmlands in Jakhpura village. A report in this regard was published in Orissa Post and Dharitri as the farmers drew attention of the collector towards their plight.
The farmers apprehended that the toxic ash water would destroy fertility of land and make them barren for years. The farmers also demanded action against Visa Steel. Later the SPCB’s regional officer Anup Kumar Mallick visited the spot and sent the toxic ash water for laboratory examination. A team submitted its report to SPCB July 10.
According to information obtained under Right to Information Act, the collected water samples contains excessive amount phenolic compound (tar) and cyanide which is harmful for the farmlands.
Mallick also witnessed the discharge of ash water from the plant premises July 8 and 9 which were in sharp contrast to Section-25 and 26 of Water Pollution Act-1974. The company has become so adamant that it has refused to obey repeated warnings from SPCB.
When contacted, director Manoj Kumar of Visa Steel feigned ignorance on the development.
