July 10th 2024.
In the district of Jajpur, the National Green Tribunal has made a significant decision. They have ordered an investigation into the water pollution that is plaguing the Sukinda mining valley. Furthermore, they have directed the state government to ensure that the residents in this area have access to safe drinking water. This ruling comes from Justice B Amit Sthalekar and judicial member Arun Kumar Verma, who sit on the East Zone Bench of the tribunal in Kolkata. The state government has been given a deadline of four weeks to provide a report on the actions they have taken in response to this issue. The tribunal expressed disappointment over the Central Groundwater Board not submitting a separate affidavit and has requested a fresh investigation into the contamination of groundwater in Sukinda valley.
The case was brought before the tribunal by social activist Mantu Das, who raised concerns about the high levels of chromium in the water that is causing serious health problems for the residents. According to Das, there have been reports of 10-15 people dying from kidney ailments due to consuming this polluted water. The NGT took this matter seriously and initiated an investigation. Advocate Shankar Prasad Pani represented Das in the hearing. During the probe, it was discovered that there were alarming levels of chromium ranging from 0.015 to 0.117 mg in the groundwater of Sukinda valley. In particular, the Saruabila mining area was found to have extremely high levels of chromium. It was also revealed that the mining companies in Jajpur district are using water from the Brahmani river for their operations and releasing untreated effluents into the Damsala nullah and other water bodies in the vicinity.
This has resulted in severe pollution of rivers, nullahs, ponds, and groundwater. To address this issue, the tribunal has directed the formation of a special joint inspection committee consisting of four members. This committee, chaired by the Jajpur Collector, includes Kalinganagar ADM Lankeswar Amat, SPCB's Kalinganagar regional officer Pramod Kumar Behera, scientist Abhijit Pathak from the Central Pollution Control Board, and scientist Sinos PK from the Central Groundwater Board. The committee visited Sukinda mining valley and collected samples of the discharged effluents from various mining companies, as well as groundwater samples for examination. On May 7, 2024, the SPCB submitted their report and filed an affidavit before the tribunal. It revealed that nine water samples collected from Sukinda valley contained toxic levels of chromium during the hearing on July 7, 2024.
However, the tribunal noted that the Central Groundwater Board, who had a representative on the joint committee, did not properly investigate the matter. The next hearing is scheduled for August 16, 2024.
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