JAIPUR: Former finance minister Prafulla Chandra Ghadei has sought the intervention of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in curbing the rising pollution level in Kalinga Nagar Industrial Complex and Sukinda chromite valley in Jajpur district.
In a letter to the Chief Minister, Ghadei stated that both Kalinga Nagar and Sukinda chromite valley have turned into one of highly polluted areas in the country with the expansion of industrial and mining activities causing air, water and sound pollution. The former Sukinda legislator said around one lakh people reside in and around both the areas and industrialists as well as the district administration have turned a deaf ear to the complaints of pollution.
“The residents in these areas are suffering from jaundice, TB, cancer, heart and kidney ailments and ENT problems due to rising pollution level. There is no super specialty hospital in the area for treatment of such patients. Besides, specialised doctors are not posted in the Government hospitals of both areas,” the letter stated.
Ghadei also complained of acute shortage of drinking water in the areas. In the letter, he stated that locals mainly depend on water of Ganda nullah in Kalinga Nagar and Damsala nullah in Sukinda which have now been polluted due to discharge of industrial and mining effluents.
He called for concerted efforts by Industry, Forest and Environment, Revenue and Panchayatiraj departments for undertaking massive plantation programmes on a war footing.
Though the State Government had decided to undertake five line plantation on both sides of 15-km Biju Patnaik Marg from Pankapal to Danagadi Chhak in Kalinga Nagar and assigned the responsibility to the Forest Department, nothing has been done in this regard.