SAMBALPUR: Despite being categorised as highly polluting, 10 direct reduced iron (DRI) sponge iron units continue to operate in Rengali block of Sambalpur district, allegedly in violation of environmental guidelines.
Notably, the air quality index (AQI) in Rengali touched 300 this year, placing it in the ‘very unhealthy’ category. Environmental experts said areas located close to the DRI units have consistently recorded higher AQI levels.
Sponge iron plants operate either through DRI or blast furnace technology. Guidelines mandate closure of DRI units and a shift to blast furnace systems to curb pollution. However, the high cost involved in upgrading to blast furnace technology has led many sponge iron units in Rengali to ignore these directions, said sources.
One of the major contributors to the high AQI level was ineffective functioning of sweeping machines along Rengali-Thelkolei road, a crucial industrial corridor used by trucks ferrying raw materials and finished goods.
Besides, there is a massive movement of heavy vehicles along the Sambalpur-Rengali-Jharsuguda stretch, with an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 trucks plying daily.
Continuous operation of road sweeping machines is essential to control dust and ash generated by this traffic. However, poor upkeep and irregular functioning of these machines, particularly along the Biju Expressway, has led to a sharp rise in particulate pollution, said sources.
Rengali’s high AQI found a mention during the recent Veer Surendra Sai Jayanti celebrations as Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan expressed serious concern over the deteriorating air quality, stating that he has taken up the matter with the pollution control board and asked officials to submit a detailed report on the causes behind the AQI surge.
While the district administration has initiated an inquiry to identify the precise factors contributing to the rise in pollution levels, environmental activists said unless strict action is taken against violation of guidelines by sponge iron units and measures are enforced to mitigate road dust pollution on a daily basis, Rengali’s air quality is unlikely to improve.
Sources said despite heavy industrial activity, the authorities are yet to install a government monitoring station which has further added to the crisis and left both residents and regulators without real-time pollution data.