BHUBANESWAR: Amid concern over poor disposal of solid waste and direct release of effluent from industrial units into drains in the city, the Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) department has started mapping waste management of units in industrial areas and outside their vicinity.
Sources said chairing a meeting of the ‘Save Daya City Coordination Committee’, BDA VC Balwant Singh, has asked the officials of IDCO, Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) and BMC to take measures for early completion of the task.
Sources said the mapping is being carried out by IDCO involving a private agency for around 1,700 industrial units in and around four industrial estates including Mancheswar, Chandaka and Bhagabanpur to identify the number of units generating waste unauthorisedly, number of units having sewage treatment plant (STP) and those that require STPs among others.
Sources said only 72 out of 805 industrial units in Mancheswar have been identified with STP so far. Similarly, in Chandaka only 34 out of 480 industrial units have STPs. In Bhagabanpur industrial estate only 16 out of 130 industrial units have STPs.
Sources said Singh has asked IDCO authorities to identify the industrial units which require STPs by August 31. Besides, IDCO has also been requested to furnish a report regarding the working condition of STPs in the industrial units by August 14.
A detailed survey of units which have been allotted space but are not in use, abandoned, locked or misused will be conducted and whether any waste is being accumulated in such units recorded by IDCO. All such industrial units will be issued notices, BDA officials said.
The officials said once the identification process is complete, the action plan will be finalised to check direct release of the industrial effluent and hazardous waste into natural drains, a major cause of pollution in Daya river.
They said BMC has also been asked to keep a record of entities generating solid waste but not disposing it properly. The civic body has been asked to study industrial solid waste management strategy of other cities for creation of a comprehensive plan in this regard.