The boundary wall of a tailing pond in the JSW-BPSL premises at Thelkoloi in Sambalpur collapsed on Thursday evening, causing complete destruction in the adjoining farming fields and a poultry farm while a security guard is missing.
Iron-infused toxic chemical mix slurry from the pond spread deep into the fields, ponds, homes and agriculture fields of Benjiverrna village. It caused the fish in the ponds to die almost instantly.
The Thelkoloi police station IIC reached the spot to look into the incident, which has angered the villagers, many of whom have demanded compensation from the factory for collateral damage. Two meetings have already taken place between the representatives of the factory and villagers; yet, there was no resolution to the issues.
When asked to share the company's response on the matter, JSW Bhushan Power & Steel VP (Administration) of DK Sinha said a cleanup of the plant was underway. “We assure that all affected villagers would be given their due compensation for the damages as per advice by the district administration,” he added.
