Centre bans new projects in four industrial clusters in Orissa

Economic Times, Jan 14, 2010


BHUBANESWAR: Industries will no more come up in four most polluted clusters viz. Anugul-Talcher, Ib Valley, Jharsuguda and Paradip with the centre enforcing a ban recently in some 88 industrial towns in the country.


No new project proposals will get approval in the next eight months and there will be a review of the approved projects .

The centre’s move comes in the wake of startling revelation by a survey of pollution conducted by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) with the help of IIT, in the industrial belts of the country.

The Anugul - Talcher Industrial town in Orissa stands at seventh among the top 10 most polluted towns of the country and ahead of all other industrial towns in Orissa,

Ib Valley is placed at 28th while Jharsuguda in 33rd and Paradip in 44th Position.

The industrial pollution index reveals that the pollution magnitude in Anugul. Talchar records 82.09 while 74 in Ib Valley, 73.34 in Jharsuguda and 69.26 in Paradip.

Anugul-Talchar Industrial town has recorded the magnitude of air pollution index at 64, water pollution index as 69 and land pollution index as 65.75.

In Ib Valley, the index of air, water and land pollution is 61, 56.5 and 59 ,in Jharsuguda it is 61, 56.5 and 56 , the air, water and land pollution index in Paradip.it is 54, 58.5 and 48 respectevely.

Absence of pollution control measures and inaction against the polluting companies are the basic reasons for the high industrial pollution.
 
NOTE:
Bhawanipatna, Junagarh and Dharamgarh regions in Kalahandi could be ideal locations for coal based thermal plants in the state, since Angul, Jharsuguda and Sambalpur regions are getting more polluted and there are potential environmental consequences in the region.
The advantages in Kalahandi are

(i) there will be direct rail connectivity to the region soon (for coal transportation) from Jharsuguda
(ii) there is NH201 from coal rich reasons (for coal transportation)
(iii) plenty of water is released unutilized through Tel river which could be used for industries
(iv) there are non-agriculture land and Govt. land available for such establishment