Ban fails to curb new sponge iron units

Authorities turn a blind eye as new units mushroom and heavy pollution endangers thousands of lives in Orissa

Even as an official ban on setting up of new sponge iron units in Orissa is in effect for the past couple of years, reports prepared by different environmental groups show that illegal sprouting of such stand-alone units across different districts of the state continue unabated, especially in Sundergarh, Keonjhar, Jharsuguda, Angul, Dhenkanal, Cuttack and Jajpur districts, adversely affecting over 200,000 people with pollution hazards.

According to official figures available with the Orissa Pollution Control Board, (OPCB), there are about 104 sponge iron units operating in the state.

The unofficial figure, mostly prepared by local environmental bodies, however, is in the region of 150. OPCB is unable to control this burgeoning development across the state.

Most of the units are accused of not installing pollution control devices and necessary control meters to arrest chemical hazards. Till now, OPCB has ordered the closure of 4 sponge iron units for not conforming to the state air and water pollution norms.

Under the new laws, no-objection certificates (NOCs) will have to be taken from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest, and also the state pollution control board for setting up sponge iron units.

"The allegations raised by different environmental groups on the sprouting of illegal sponge iron units are false. We have records to prove that there are no illegal sponge iron units in the state." B K Misra, member-secretary, OPCB told Business Standard.

The biggest problem faced by OPCB in monitoring the cropping of illegal units is mainly due to their size.

Most are in the small- and medium-scale category and do not have the financial capacity to install pollution control equipments as production costs would, then, escalate.

Says a sponge iron unit owner, "We are aware of the pollution that is taking place, but we are helpless in not having the required funds to install an anti-pollution device.

The government should take the initiative in providing us with these devices at cheaper prices and there will be no objection.

In Orissa, sponge iron units can only be set up as part of the integrated effort of steel projects. But those also will have to comply with the existing air and water pollution control Act.

The Orissa government has signed 46 MoUs with large and medium steel plants and quite naturally, each venture will be having, as its part, an integrated sponge iron unit.

Reports point out that illegal sponge iron plants have mostly been violating the land acquisition rules Schedule V "" ' sensitive areas' PESA, EIA notification of 1994 and environment clearance laws have not been adhered to due to lack of regular technical surveillance by the state pollution board.

Sundergarh is the worst affected district, where most of the illegal sponge iron units are situated. Despite being a Schedule V area, land in this district continues to be shifted to these illegal sponge iron units without NOCs from the local gramsabhas and clearances from state pollution authorities and the union environment ministry.

In many cases, the local administration has also not come out openly in support of the gramsabhas against the setting up of illegal sponge iron plants.

Reports say, just before the ban in 2005, sixty-four sponge iron units were registered and 18 were in the pipeline awaiting NOCs.

What is surprising is, despite the ban, these units have managed to start production without the required NOCs.

In the absence of public hearing and strict government objections, it is the local people who have forced many of the units to stop their construction as it adversely affects not only human health but also livestock, agriculture and land.