Jajpur: Tension gripped farmers here after polluted water allegedly came out of Visa Steel’s Kalinganagar plant Friday and inundated nearby farmlands following the collapse of a wall. The incident took place around 30 metres from the steel plant’s main gate.
The black coloured toxic waste water washed away paddy saplings, farmers Shyamsundar Behera, Sujit Behera and others said. They said the polluted waste water will damage the fertility of their farms and reduce yields.
The farmers warned that they would immolate themselves outside the plant’s main gate if Visa Steel does not stop releasing polluted water into their fields.
The development came after a bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) comprising Justice SP Wangdi and judicial and expert member Dr Satyawan Singh Garbyal hearing a case(19/2019) directed the state pollution control board (SPCB) to ensure that Visa Steel stops discharging untreated waste water outside, August 9, 2019.
Para No 8 of the tribunal’s order directed the SPCB to make sure that the plant adopts steps to treat its waste water. The government had also declared that it would take stringent measures to check industrial pollution, and that the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) will be held responsible if any companies cause pollution.
Although two weeks have passed after the NGT order, Visa Steel has not stopped discharging waste outside. The waste water flows into the Gonda nullah (a natural stream) and mixes with the waters of the Brahmani river.
The farmers said the Tribunal’s order seems to have had little impact on the SPCB and Visa Steel as the latter continues discharging toxic wastes into farmlands with the SPCB’s knowledge.
They said that this is due to the fact that the SPCB which is tasked with preventing environment pollution is disobeying NGT orders.
Pramod Kumar Behera, the regional officer of SPCB, said steps have been taken as per the NGT order, and that higher authorities have been informed of the developments.