CUTTACK: Alleged kidney ailments related deaths due to severe water pollution in Kaliapani under Sukinda tehsil of Jajpur district has come under the scanner of National Green Tribunal (NGT).
A four-member committee, constituted on Thursday, has been asked to submit a report within four weeks with regard to the deaths as alleged in a complaint lodged by Mantu Das, a resident of Jajpur Sadar. The committee includes senior scientists of Odisha Pollution Control Board, Central Pollution Control Board, Central Ground Water Board, and collector and district magistrate of Jajpur, or his representative not below the rank of additional district magistrate.
The complaint letter had alleged that within a period of one month, 10-15 individuals have tragically lost their lives to kidney related ailments after consuming contaminated groundwater and water from nearby ponds and other water bodies. Das cited the names of nine deceased. NGT’s east zone bench in Kolkata which registered the complaint as a suo motu application felt the matter requires consideration.
The bench of B Amit Sthalekar (judicial member) and Arun Kumar Verma (expert member) said, “Considering the allegations made, we deem it appropriate to constitute a committee to enquire and submit a fact-finding report. The committee shall visit the sites in question and submit its report on affidavit with reference to the allegations made in the complaint letter within four weeks.”
The bench added, “We also direct that if the committee is able to verify the allegations made by the applicant are found to be correct, even to small extent, it shall state the source of such pollution in its report.” The bench further specified that the collector and district magistrate of Jajpur, shall be the nodal officer for all logistic purposes and Odisha State Pollution Board shall file an affidavit on the report of the committee. The matter has been posted to May 9.
The complaint letter said groundwater in Kaliapani area has been found to be excessively toxic with elevated levels of iron, chromite, and other pollutants. As per the Pollution Control Board report, the groundwater in Kamarda and Saruabil mining area had alarmingly high iron content.