Cracking the whip on errant sponge iron plants in the state, the Orissa State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) has shut six such units for their failure to undertake pollution mitigation measures.
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Kharagpur which had carried out a detailed study on the functioning of 104 out of 109 sponge iron plants in the state had recommended these plants to upgrade bag filter and install pneumatic dust handling system to control pollution.
"Six sponge iron plants have been shut down for their failure to comply with the recommendation given by IIT-Kharagpur. There are 69 other sponge iron plants which have only partially complied with the recommendation. The OSPCB will issue notices to these units to complete up-gradation of bag filter and installation of pneumatic dust handling system within a month and make them operational in 45 days. Else, these units will also be shut down,” said Debi Prasad Mishra, minister for forest & environment.
The six sponge iron units which have been shut down by the pollution board include three in Sundergarh district- Ores Ispat (Pvt) Ltd with a capacity of 50 tonnes per day (tpd) at Bonai, Pawanjaya Sponge Iron Ltd at Bijabahal with a capacity of 200 tpd and Rexon Strips Ltd having a capacity of 200 tpd at Kumakela.
The list of errant sponge iron plants also includes two in Keonjhar district- Aditya Sponge & power Ltd (200 tpd) at Telkoi and Orissa Minerals Development Corporation (OMDC) Sponge Iron Plant (100 tpd) at Thakurani. The other sponge iron unit that has been shut down is Bindal Sponge Iron Ltd having a capacity of 300 tpd and located at Talcher in Angul district.
As many as 29 sponge iron plants have fully complied with the recommendation for up-gradation of bag filter and installation of pneumatic dust handling system.
It may be noted that the OSPCB had asked the sponge iron plants in the state to comply with the said directive by June 30 this year.
The sponge iron plants are mostly concentrated in the Sundergarh (47) and Keonjhar (21) districts with the total production capacity beng around 37,000 tonnes per day.
