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State asks Board to take measures to prevent pollution in Sukinda Valley

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government on Friday asked the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) to take preventive measures for pollution in Sukinda Valley, which was ranked one of the top 10 worst polluted areas in the world.

Addressing top functionaries of the SPCB at its 24th foundation day here, State Forest and Environment Secretary H. S Chahar said scientists of the board should visit Sukinda area and take stock of the situation. "Sukinda has been listed as one of the top 10 polluted areas of world and about 2.5 million people were facing serious serious health . Immediate steps shall be taken to do away with the pollution," Mr. Chahar, who recently took over charge of department, said.

He said: "we should assess what is the impact of mining on human health." The US-based Blacksmith Institute has said in its report that chromite mine workers were constantly exposed to contaminated dust and water. "Gastrointestinal bleeding, tuberculosis and asthma are common ailments, infertility, birth defects, and stillbirths and have also resulted," it said. Sukinda Valley contains 97 per cent of India’s chromite ore deposits and one of the largest open cast chromite ore mines in the world. "Twelve mines continue to operate without any environmental management plans and over 30 million tons of waste rock is spread over the surrounding areas and the Brahmani riverbanks. Untreated water is discharged by the mines into the river," the report said.

It said the area was also flood-prone, resulting in further contamination of the waterways. “Approximately 70 per cent of the surface water and 60 per cent of drinking water contains hexavalent chromium at more than double national and international standards and levels of over 20 times the standard have been recorded,” Blacksmith Institute found. Though Comptroller Auditor General of India has already pointed out pollution in 2002 and forest department’s environment research wing has covered the subject vividly, no action has been taken. It is alleged that the mine owners are also not enforcing safety measures to prevent possible carcinogenic disaster.

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