ANGUL: Normal life across Angul was disrupted on Wednesday due to a dawn-to-dusk bandh called by the district Congress committee over three demands including measures to curb acute pollution in the region caused by coal and ash-carrying trucks.
Shops and business establishments remained closed, while vehicular traffic stayed off the roads. Government offices, banks and educational institutions were also closed.
Congress workers staged road blockades on NH-55 and other highways. The agitators were also seen picketing at various locations in Angul town and appealing to people to observe the bandh peacefully. Coal mines in Talcher were briefly affected, while other major industrial units, including NALCO, NTPC power plants, JITPL and Jindal Steel, functioned normally.
The bandh was called over three demands - release of five Kosala villagers who are in jail for more than 120 days, a halt to movement of uncovered ash-carrying trucks operated by industries and creation of dedicated corridors to facilitate evacuation of coal from Chhendipada.
President of Angul unit of Congress Sunil Pradhan said, “We want a separate coal corridor for transporting coal from the mines in Chhendipada. We also demand a halt to the movement of uncovered ash-carrying trucks. Besides, we demand the withdrawal of false cases against five villagers of Kosala who are in jail for more than 120 days.”
Angul SP Rahul Jain said the bandh was peaceful with no untoward incident reported from any part of the district. All road blockades were cleared by 9 am.
He added that FIRs would be registered against those who resorted to road blockades.