Special plans for State’s pollution zones

The State Government today approved a special plan for the seven pollution zones in Orissa identified by the Orissa State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB).A decision to this effect was taken at a high-level meeting presided over by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the Secretariat today. The seven zones are Talcher-Angul, Jharsuguda-Rengali, Ib valley, Paradip, Rourkela-Rajgangpur, Joda-Barbil and Kalinganagar.Of these, three clusters, Jharsuguda-Rengali, Ib valley and Angul-Talcher have been identified as critically polluted and the OSPCB has initiated steps for preparing a regional environment management plan for these regions.The State Government had commissioned studies for pollution management in these regions. The Dhanbad-based Indian School of Mines University has submitted its report on the Angul-Talcher cluster.The National Environment Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur, will submit its report on the Ib valley and Jharsuguda-Rengali clusters in February.Besides, the OSPCB has prepared an action plan for all the seven clusters which was approved by the Chief Minister. According to this, the critically polluted areas will be scientifically and systematically evaluated. Each of the seven clusters will also have a separate action plan.Ten small reservoirs or water harvesting structures will be taken up in Angul-Talcher zone for ensuring availability of water and maintaining temperature ambience. Besides, a coal corridor will be set up for evacuation of coal from the Talcher area.All industries and mines operating in these areas will be asked to develop green belt which will help in bringing down the pollution level in the zones. All the thermal power plants to be set up in these areas will be asked to adopt the super critical technology.Besides, the thermal power plants will have to adopt the high density slurry disposal system for fly ash management. An action plan will be prepared to fill up the voids in the mining areas with fly ash.There will be online monitoring of air quality in all the industrial belts.Among others, development commissioner Satya Prakash Nanda, agriculture production commissioner Rabi Narayan Senapati, Secretary in the Forest and Environment Department UN Behera and senior officials attended the meeting.