Tathya.in. April 21, 2010
Lanjigarh:21/April/2010
Vedanta Aluminium Limited (VAL) has received a clean chit on the count of pollution by its refinery at Lanjigarh from Odisha Pollution Control Board(OPCB).
VAL, which has turned to be whipping boy for all and sundry was blamed by Sridhar Pesnia that more than 100 deaths occurred due to Tuberculosis (TB), thanks to pollution by Vedanta.
Recently, a delegation led by Sridhar of Lanjigarh, who went to meet Naveen Pattanaik, the Chief Minister to narrate their owes and submitted a memorandum charging Vedanta for the same.
There have been several allegations by NGOs and few local persons regarding pollution by the Alumina Refinery at Lanjigarh by VAL also.
These allegations created hype in media and news appeared in all the leading news papers of Orissa on 25 January.
The issue was also surfaced in the Parliament as a starred question.
On the basis of the complaint and question raised in Parliament, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) immediately directed State Pollution Control Board to submit a report on the matter by 5 March.
However, the OPCB, after a thorough inspection of the operation of the refinery has rejected all the allegations related to environmental pollution.
OPCB appointed a team of scientists for an on the spot enquiry on the allegations.
They collected data and samples from different sources including data from health and TB control department, in presence of people and has submitted its report.
As per the report, only one death has occurred in 2006 due to tuberculosis in the periphery area of the refinery between 2002 and 2010 although the area is prone to TB, skin disease, malaria, malnutrition etc.
No death of household animals, cattle and bird could be verified due to water pollution as majority of the rivers was having pH below 7.5.
Analyzing water samples from river, stream and tubewell from various location around the plant, the report says that ‘pH of surrounding surface and ground water remains within acceptable limit’.
Team did not also observe any seepage or leakage from red-mud pond, process water lake, Ash Pond and other waste water containment areas.
The company has also made appropriate provisions for controlling air pollution, as per the report.
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