Odisha Pollution Control Board removed its ban on BPSL

Bhushan Power & Steel Company (BPSL) located at Thelkoli, Rengali of Sambalpur district was ordered to shut down partially by the Pollution Control Board & sealed 5 units of it on September 2011. But within a short time period the Pollution control Board has removed its ban & allow the BPSL, Thelkoli to restarts its’ sealed units. In the presence of Additional Divisional Magistrate Ajay Tiwari, SDPO Dilip Dev, WESCO Engineer David Ekka, the State Pollution Control Board, Sambalpur Regional Office’s officiating officer Hemant Nath Nayak & Scientist Dr, Satya Narayan Nanda sealed units of BPSL, Thelkoli has been opened.

This permission is granted by State Pollution control Board with a bank guaranty of Rs Two crore & with this after having agreed to obey the rules & to take necessary action to control the pollution. The BPSL, Thelkoli has promised to State Pollution Control Board that within three months we will manage all the steps to prevent the pollution.

As earlier all of us known that from 1st of the April the period of approval of State Pollution Control Board to run this plant had been finished after that the BPSL,Thelkuli runs its units. The Pollution Board had been warned several times about this & even notice was also sent to BPSL, Thelkoli regarding this. Also without permission of the State Pollution Control Board some units of the plants were being running in BPSL, Thelkoli. On this the local public & intellectuals are saying that what type of magic has been done by BPSL, Thelkoli that Pollution Control Board removed its’ ban within a short time period & allowed to restart its’ sealed units.

The local publics are now also telling & feeling that if this plant gets permission by doing such type of work by deceiving the pollution control Board & be able to allowed again, so what guaranty this time BPSL, Thelkoli will obey the Pollution control rules. Whose example is in front of sight that Pollution is again spreading everywhere after the sealed Units opened. Now again local people are facing various diseases, like discomfort in breathing, irritation in the eyes, skin diseases, asthma etc are spreading in the BPSL, Thelkoli’s  surrounding areas as after removing of ban. The local people said that it does not justify with us & it can be in sensitive towards the health of the people who live Around BPSL, Thelkoli Factory. They also said that during evening time it is very difficult to cross across the BPSL, Thelkoi vicinity areas due to pollution of their manufacturing units.

In this regard intellectuals are saying that as a matter of fact firstly the state government’s policy of allowing so many highly polluting industries to come up in this area of Rengali(Sambalpur) is grievous wrong. The approvals given in the last 10 years for setting up of highly polluting industries in this area needs to be investigated. Secondly the lack of policing or monitoring of the existing industries is an issue and most important the lack of interest of these company officials for being sensitive towards their own surrounding.