Bhubaneswar: Beware! Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and National Green Tribunal (NGT) have identified seven cities and 19 river stretches in Odisha which have excessive air pollution and water pollution respectively.
This was revealed by Forest and Environment Minister Bikram Keshari Arukha in a written reply to a question by Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA from Khandapada Soumya Ranjan Patnaik.
The Minister said that water and air pollution in the State was mainly due to smoke from mines, factories, vehicles, waste from hospitals, waste from cities and drain water and added that the State Pollution Control Board regularly collects samples and conducts tests of the same.
The non-attainment cities identified by the CPCB and the NGT are Angul, Balasore, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Kalinganagar-Jajpur Road, Talcher and Rourkela, the Minister stated.
Similarly, the polluted river stretches identified by the CPCB in the State are Gangua River (along Bhubaneswar), Daya (Bhubaneswar to Bargarh), Brahmani (Rourkela to Biritol), Guradih nallah (Rourkela), Mangala (along Puri), Nagavali (Jaykaypur to Rayagada), Kathajodi (Cuttack to Urali), Serua (Khandaeta to Sankhatrasa), Ratnachira (along Bhubaneswar, Puri), Nandira Jhor (downstream of Talcher), Kuakhai (along Bhubaneswar), Mahanadi (Sambalpur to Paradeep), Rushikulya (Pratappur to Ganjam), Banguru nallah (along Talcher, Rengali), Bheden (along Bheden), Kusumi (along Talcher), Luna (along Bijipur), Sabulia (Jagannathpatna, Rambha) and Budhabalanga (Mahulia to Baripada), the Minister said in his reply.
He informed that Action Plans have been drawn up after necessary research for containing excessive air and water pollution in the seven cities and 19 river stretches.
After getting due approval of these Action Plans from the CPCB, concerned departments have been informed to implement them, he added.
