Pollution Control Board, Odisha (OPCB), today sealed Bhushan Energy Limited's (BSL) 300 MW thermal power plant at Narendrapur village in Dhenkanal district on charge of violating pollution norms, official sources said.
"We have sealed two units of BSL's power plant at Narendrapur village as per the direction of the Member Secretary of the SPCB," Anil Kumar Patnaik, sub-collector of Dhenkanal district, told reporters.
Though senior executives of BSL were present at the power plant, they refused to comment.
"We are forced to shut down the plant as the BSL has not taken any step to rectify mistakes committed as regards air and water pollution," SPCB regional manager Sitakant Sahu said.
The power plant supplies electricity to Bhushan Steel Limited (BSL)'s three million-tonne steel plant located nearby. The steel plant manufactures pig iron, billets, slabs and hot-rolled steel coil.
The SPCB yesterday had issued a closure notice to the plant after it failed to take measures to address environmental concerns raised in the past. According to a senior SPCB official, the company had been served show-cause notices a number of times over the past two years.
The Pollution Control Board pointed out that since the company's effluent treatment plant was not in operation, the untreated ash pond and other chemicals were being discharged to Kisinda nullah which was polluting the nearby river.
BEL had been dumping fly ash and other waste materials inside the plant thereby making pollution level high in the area, the board added.
