The central public sector enterprises in Odisha are found to be negligent on protecting the environment. PSU majors like National Aluminium Company Ltd (Nalco), National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP), Iffco and Neelachal Ispta Nigam Ltd.(NINL) are now under the watch list of the Orissa State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB).
?The public sector units are polluting the environment by discharging their effluents, particularly their waste discharges, into the major rivers?, said Odisha’s forest and environment minister Debi Prasad Mishra.
The state government has recently slapped show-cause notices on three of the 11 central government-owned industries in Odisha for polluting river waters. The units of Iffco, RSP and NINL are discharging effluents into the rivers Mahanadi and Brahmani.
?The effluent treatments by these plants are not adequate?, said a senior official of the OSPCB, adding, ?We have directed them to upgrade their effluent treatment plant (ETP) or face a closure notice?.
The discharge from Iffco?s phosphatic fertiliser plant at Paradip into the Mahanadi was not complying with the PH, fluoride and phosphate norms. RSP?s discharge into the Brahmani was also flouting the limits on PH, TSS and cyanide content. Similarly, the discharge from NINL’s steel plant, at Dubri in Jajpur district, into the Ganda Nallah (Brahmani) was flouting cyanide norms. The show-cause notices have prodded the PSUs to take compliance measures.
RSP, which runs a 2-million-tonne steel plant at Rourkela in Sundergarh district, has started repair of its trickling filter. The company is also extending a pipeline for using treated BOD (bio-chemical oxygen demand) plant water for coke quenching, said a senior official of the OSPCB. ? The plant has engaged Wapcos for preparing a report for the desiltation of the lagoon?, the official said.
Iffco, which has acquired the Oswal group?s phosphatic fertiliser plant at Paradip, has improved the maintenance of ETP and reinforced lining to check seepage from the garland drain. It is also upgrading its ETP.
NINL has taken up some rectification measures to improve its effluent treatment efficiency. The treated effluent is now stored in a lined up pit constructed within the company premises, the official said. The rivers in Odisha are facing major threat from the power plants run by central enterprises like the Nalco and NTPC.
The state government, last year, shut down four units of NTPC?s 6×500 MW Talcher Super Thermal Power Station (TSTPS) at Kaniha as ash slurry from its ash-pond gushed into the river Brahmani. ?Due to the accidental breach of the ash pond in June 2011, a direction was issued to stop the generation of 2000 MW power?, said the OSPCB official. According to him, NTPC was allowed to resume operation after adopting rectification measures, duly certified by IIT Chennai and NIT Rourkela on ash dyke stability.
Similarly, the central sector aluminium giant Nalco was directed to take steps for plugging the leakages from its captive power plant ash pond.
Observing that there is regular discharge of ash slurry from the pipeline, and seepage from ash pond dykes, the company in October 2011 was directed to take appropriate preventive and corrective measures.
The unit has since filed a compliance report and promised to take immediate rectification measures whenever a breach occurred. The unit has strengthened the supervision and maintenance of ash pond by deploying additional man power. On its part, the pollution control board checks the seepage water, before discharge to the river Nandira, at regular interval, the official said.
The state government-owned Aska Cooperative Sugar Industries and private companies like Hindalco (both smelter and captive power plant), Bhushan Steel Ltd, Maikel Breweries, and Laxmipathi Balaji Sugar & Distilleries have been identified as polluters by the OSPCB.