ROURKELA: The Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) on Saturday sealed the sponge iron plant of Agrasen Sponge Pvt Ltd (ASPL) at Mandiakudar in Rajgangpur block of Sundargarh district for repeated violations of pollution control norms.
Acting on the directions of chief environment scientist and regional officer Dr Anup Mallick, an enforcement team simultaneously sealed the plant’s PLC control room, raw material feeding point and 33 KV power connection point.
A closure notice was pasted at the plant’s main entrance, directing the company not to resume operations until further orders from the OSPCB. The notice asked the management to ensure compliance with the prescribed pollution control norms before applying for de-sealing of the unit.
The enforcement team was accompanied by personnel from Rajgangpur police, officials of the Sundargarh district administration and Tata Power Western Odisha Distribution Ltd.
Dr Mallick said the action was taken for repeated violations of the provisions of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. OSPCB sources said the regional office had also recovered around `1.80 crore as environmental compensation during 2025-26 from various industrial units and agencies for illegal dumping of fly ash and other solid industrial waste.
The sources added that the regional office has intensified enforcement against polluting industries since April 2025. During 2025-26, it issued closure notices to 41 defaulting industrial units, sealed 31 units and served show-cause notices on 100 others. Besides, seven industrial units were directed to shut down operations for violating pollution control norms.