Chairing a high-level meeting in Bhubaneswar, Pandian observed that Daya river gets polluted as the Gangua nullah, which carries the city’s wastewater, flows into it.

It was decided at the meeting that a treatment plant with advanced technology would be constructed by WATCO at the confluence of Daya and Gangua to purify the water of the river, official sources said.

With the dumping of waste and release of untreated water in stormwater channels, Gangua nullah gets highly polluted. As a result, pollution in Daya River is getting worse in the capital city.

Pandian asked all the agencies concerned including Urban Development Department, BMC, WATCO and SPCB to take action in this regard.

Necessary steps will also be taken to prevent the release of industrial waste and biomedical waste to drains.

The meeting decided to make it mandatory to connect the contaminated water of various institutions in BMC area with the sewerage line. Along with this, Pandian also directed to create awareness in the direction that all the houses of BMC can be connected to the sewerage line as soon as possible. In Bhubaneswar, sewerage work is being carried out in various areas by WATCO.

Pandian opined that there would not be any inconvenience to the public if they work in coordination with various agencies and speed up the sewerage work and complete it within the stipulated time frame.

As the state capital has different industries, reegular inspections will be conducted by IDCO, SPCB and BMC to ensure proper treatment of their waste and water.

According to sources, the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) undertook a study and monitored the water quality of Bindusagar for over six months.

It reportedly found high presence of coliform, faecal coliform and faecal matter during monitoring of its water quality from January to June this year.

As per OSPCB report, the presence of total coliform was highest in the part of the pond towards Gyannagar in the Souty-West corner that was 24,161 mpn (most probable number) per 100 ml of water and faecal coliform was 9018 mpn.

The presence of total coliform was 17,713 mpn in Uttareswar Ghat and faecal coliform was 8227 mpn.

While the stinking smell of some of the decomposing waste material in the dumping yard is unbearable for the local residents, and the smoke emitting out of the dumping yard whenever there is a fire, causes an inconvenience to residents. Many locals are also facing health hazards due to the pollution arising out of the dumping yard and regularly falling ill. Though they have requested the district administration several times to shift the dumping yard to somewhere else, it has fallen on deaf ears.

“This is a tourist spot and the area is situated in the middle of the city. Several families including the families of the servitors are living near the area. Several hotels are also situated near the dumping yard. However, it is not understandable how a dumping yard could be there at the center of a town,” said Indrajit Mohapatra, a local resident.

“The pollution, stinking smell, and smoke arising out of the dumping yard are unbearable. Local people are facing severe health hazards because of the dumping yard. We have been listening for many years that it will be shifted, but nothing is happening,” said Rama Mallick another local resident.

Concerned over the unhygienic situation at Baliapanda, a local lawyer named Chinmay Dash had filed a petition before the National Green Tribunal to shift the dumping yard to somewhere else, but nothing has materialized yet.

“Whenever I return from the sea beach, I feel the toxic atmosphere at Baliapanda area due to the dumping yard. Being a lawyer I was really concerned about the ordeal of the people living in the nearby areas. I filed a petition at the National Green Tribunal requesting remedial measures. However, nothing has happened yet,” said Dash.

Meanwhile, Puri Municipality officials assured that the waste materials will be shifted soon after being processed.

“An MOU will be signed with an agency soon for processing and shifting of the waste material from the area. A preliminary survey is being conducted for assessing the amount of waste material piled in the area. Work in this direction will be undertaken at the earliest,” said Manoj Behera, Additional Executive Officer of Puri Municipality.