After getting frequent complaints, a group of officials from the district administration visited the fly ash dumping places of the Biraj Steels Limited on SH 10 that is rampantly violating the pollution control norms.   

The villagers of Nishanbhanga Gram Panchayat had met new Collector Ananya Das on June 20 and apprised her of the highhandedness of the company and its illegal activities that were creating threats to the environment.

And at the instruction of the Collector; the Regional Director of the local Pollution Control Board Ramesh Ekka, Additional Tehsildar of Rengali Nepal Chandra Munda, Sarapanch of Nishanbhanga GP Saroj Kumar Meher and many others visited the fly ash dumping yard, almost looking like hills, at Gurupali. The company’s senior officials also accompanied the team.  

During the visit, the officials saw 70 to 80 feet high fly ash hill near the Hirakud reservoir. During the rainy season, a good quantity of the ash is sure to flow into the reservoir and pollute water including creating threats to fish and other aqua-lives.  

Since it is also close to the SH 10, i.e. Sambalpur-Rourkela road, fly ash is coming in the air with slight wind and putting the passersby in trouble. Even fly ash is entering into the houses of the villagers nearby.  

However after the joint visit, the district officials have expressed utter dissatisfaction over such illegal activities of the company and warned it to stick to the PCB norms and make high rise boundary walls around the dumping places.

But villagers alleged all these as a high drama since everything is going on in connivance with PCB and revenue officers and they are in the pay list of the company to close their eyes to such gross irregularities.   

“However, we now feel that things will not go as it was earlier since the new Collector has sent a team within a week. And we are sure action from her side would be taken," said  Sarapanch Soroj Meher.