Ecology and Environment
The members of the Citizens’ Forum were surprised to see the disturbing picture of Forest Cover of Kendujhar district, which was projected by a scientist of an NRSA scientist on a screen in an All India Seminar on Environment on 23 Nov last year. The deforestation and the denudation of forests appeared to be the worst among all the districts of Orissa. Even the coastal districts were better of without any natural forests. Finger like deforestation enters deep into our western hilly areas right from Malangtoli to Daitary. These are surely dangerous indicators of the main maladies, namely, deeper descent of under ground water, Climate change, Silting of reservoirs, and pollution. Afforestation as per EMP of mining plan, or the compensatory afforestation by Forest Deptt are not at all adequate. On the contrary, the wood mafia and the truck body builders in this district are having a good time. A comprehensive policy is the need of the hour to protect the famous forests of Keonjhar.
1. We have been receiving unusually large number of expressions of serious dissatisfaction on the state of environmental pollution from an equally large cross section of rural and tribal population spread all over the district. The fine particulates floating in the air, along with the Toxic gaseous affluent are the main pollutants, where as the fines of iron ore carried by water are the secondary.
2. The pollutants have direct adverse effect on the health of the population, fertility of the cultivable lands, grazing animals, suffocating plants and standing crops, portability of drinking water in wells, tanks and in the choked streams. Experts on ecology would find many other long-term effects on life and its support systems. Thousands of mineral carrying vehicles flowing in from the mine areas on unprepared roads to join the equally bad NH 215 has become another hazard to our environment and our otherwise salubrious climate.
3. A number of public forums and concerned NGOs of Keonjhar have deliberated at length on balancing the pollution and balanced industrial development in our district. It was generally felt that, although the mining and industrial activities have brought prosperity to a relatively larger section of populace, the common man in villages, roadsides, peripheries of mines and industrial units, have to suffer a degraded quality of life, basically from the consequence of this large scale pollution. Development is being seen an invasion on their life and properties. The well-known and tasty vegetables of Keonjhar, have undergone mysterious change of colour, size, and taste.
4. The considered opinion of the expert and experienced professionals in the field is summarized in the lines of the following remedial suggestions:-
(a). Sponge Iron Units
(i) All operating units must be registered with SPCB, DIC, DDM/ Mining office, and Revenue and Forest Deptt, if situated close to human settlements or forest lands, without any exception, for the purpose of pollution monitoring.
(ii) There is to be no production, not even trial production, with out operating full compliment of pollution control equipment, like ESP, Washeries etc in place. Any unserviceability of such equipment must call for factory ‘Shut Down’
(iii) The currently served notice to all offending units to close their units after the stipulated period , must be strictly enforced by any of the inspectors of (i) above, with the help of police deptt, if required.
(iv) A laboratory is to be established within the district, preferably in Keonjhargarh, to carry out the basic tests on pollution of air and water samples drawn from the effected areas, besides only looking after the norms of the industries. The results of all such impact on environment must be made public periodically, possibly every month.
(v) The interaction between the inspecting / enforcement agencies and the officials of the units are to be only professional contact and strictly limited to effected areas. All offers, even visits to offices, guest houses are to be politely declined. If all travel expenses including accommodation and transportation are met by the Government, there is absolutely no reason why such favours are to be accepted from the units or their associations.
(b) Mines
(i) All provisions of EMP enumerated in the approved mining plan with the mine owners, along with the EIA, are to be strictly enforced by the assigned agencies like IBM, DGMS, State mining and forest officials for pit wise compliance No renewal request is to be entertained without strict and full compliance of the previous EMP of the Mining plan.
(ii) Annual plantation programme, maintenance of planted areas, and prevention of erosion of sensitive areas like dumps, storage yards, loading points, are to be strictly enforced, where PRI officials may co ordinate with the forest and mining officials.
(iii) Inspection ethics similar to those at Para 4 (b) (v) are also to be enforced.
Crusher Units
With the amount of money now available to the owners of Crusher units, mainly iron ore, there is no reason why all of them change over to “ Enclosed and Dust free Machines “ technologies” and dispense with the currently installed “ Open “ crushers. These machines are the main villains of dust pollution in the mines and surroundings of crusher units. A suitable notice to this effect may be issued for a gradual but quick change over within a specified period.
Compensatory Afforestation
All mine owners having ML in forest areas or notified forest areas have paid large sums of money for compensatory a forestation to the Department of forest and environment. There is a need to carry out transparent review of the a forestation programme among the department officials, Environment activists, and the effected civil society, and the results made public.
5. We request that the above suggestions be accepted for early implementation to make a beginning of a revival of our environment, ultimately leading to a Pollution Free Keonjhar. .
(This has been highlighted at different forums at different times, We've met with the Collector, CM, PM with regards to this problem. Sadly, We still have to see the effects...)
The members of the Citizens’ Forum were surprised to see the disturbing picture of Forest Cover of Kendujhar district, which was projected by a scientist of an NRSA scientist on a screen in an All India Seminar on Environment on 23 Nov last year. The deforestation and the denudation of forests appeared to be the worst among all the districts of Orissa. Even the coastal districts were better of without any natural forests. Finger like deforestation enters deep into our western hilly areas right from Malangtoli to Daitary. These are surely dangerous indicators of the main maladies, namely, deeper descent of under ground water, Climate change, Silting of reservoirs, and pollution. Afforestation as per EMP of mining plan, or the compensatory afforestation by Forest Deptt are not at all adequate. On the contrary, the wood mafia and the truck body builders in this district are having a good time. A comprehensive policy is the need of the hour to protect the famous forests of Keonjhar.
1. We have been receiving unusually large number of expressions of serious dissatisfaction on the state of environmental pollution from an equally large cross section of rural and tribal population spread all over the district. The fine particulates floating in the air, along with the Toxic gaseous affluent are the main pollutants, where as the fines of iron ore carried by water are the secondary.
2. The pollutants have direct adverse effect on the health of the population, fertility of the cultivable lands, grazing animals, suffocating plants and standing crops, portability of drinking water in wells, tanks and in the choked streams. Experts on ecology would find many other long-term effects on life and its support systems. Thousands of mineral carrying vehicles flowing in from the mine areas on unprepared roads to join the equally bad NH 215 has become another hazard to our environment and our otherwise salubrious climate.
3. A number of public forums and concerned NGOs of Keonjhar have deliberated at length on balancing the pollution and balanced industrial development in our district. It was generally felt that, although the mining and industrial activities have brought prosperity to a relatively larger section of populace, the common man in villages, roadsides, peripheries of mines and industrial units, have to suffer a degraded quality of life, basically from the consequence of this large scale pollution. Development is being seen an invasion on their life and properties. The well-known and tasty vegetables of Keonjhar, have undergone mysterious change of colour, size, and taste.
4. The considered opinion of the expert and experienced professionals in the field is summarized in the lines of the following remedial suggestions:-
(a). Sponge Iron Units
(i) All operating units must be registered with SPCB, DIC, DDM/ Mining office, and Revenue and Forest Deptt, if situated close to human settlements or forest lands, without any exception, for the purpose of pollution monitoring.
(ii) There is to be no production, not even trial production, with out operating full compliment of pollution control equipment, like ESP, Washeries etc in place. Any unserviceability of such equipment must call for factory ‘Shut Down’
(iii) The currently served notice to all offending units to close their units after the stipulated period , must be strictly enforced by any of the inspectors of (i) above, with the help of police deptt, if required.
(iv) A laboratory is to be established within the district, preferably in Keonjhargarh, to carry out the basic tests on pollution of air and water samples drawn from the effected areas, besides only looking after the norms of the industries. The results of all such impact on environment must be made public periodically, possibly every month.
(v) The interaction between the inspecting / enforcement agencies and the officials of the units are to be only professional contact and strictly limited to effected areas. All offers, even visits to offices, guest houses are to be politely declined. If all travel expenses including accommodation and transportation are met by the Government, there is absolutely no reason why such favours are to be accepted from the units or their associations.
(b) Mines
(i) All provisions of EMP enumerated in the approved mining plan with the mine owners, along with the EIA, are to be strictly enforced by the assigned agencies like IBM, DGMS, State mining and forest officials for pit wise compliance No renewal request is to be entertained without strict and full compliance of the previous EMP of the Mining plan.
(ii) Annual plantation programme, maintenance of planted areas, and prevention of erosion of sensitive areas like dumps, storage yards, loading points, are to be strictly enforced, where PRI officials may co ordinate with the forest and mining officials.
(iii) Inspection ethics similar to those at Para 4 (b) (v) are also to be enforced.
Crusher Units
With the amount of money now available to the owners of Crusher units, mainly iron ore, there is no reason why all of them change over to “ Enclosed and Dust free Machines “ technologies” and dispense with the currently installed “ Open “ crushers. These machines are the main villains of dust pollution in the mines and surroundings of crusher units. A suitable notice to this effect may be issued for a gradual but quick change over within a specified period.
Compensatory Afforestation
All mine owners having ML in forest areas or notified forest areas have paid large sums of money for compensatory a forestation to the Department of forest and environment. There is a need to carry out transparent review of the a forestation programme among the department officials, Environment activists, and the effected civil society, and the results made public.
5. We request that the above suggestions be accepted for early implementation to make a beginning of a revival of our environment, ultimately leading to a Pollution Free Keonjhar. .
(This has been highlighted at different forums at different times, We've met with the Collector, CM, PM with regards to this problem. Sadly, We still have to see the effects...)
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