SPCB Odisha raises serious concern over pollution level in Jeera River

Bhubaneswar:  The State Pollution Control Board (SPCB), Odisha, has flagged alarmingly high levels of pollution in the Jeera River, a tributary of the Mahanadi River.

The SPCB, in its affidavit submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) also revealed that the water of the Jeera River is not even suitable for bathing.

Following the instructions of the NGT in connection with a plea filed by one Ramakanta Rout, the SPCB had collected surface water samples from upstream (near Bargarh Law College) and downstream (near PHED Pada at the old water intake point) of Bargarh town from Jeera River.

The test report results disclosed that the sample collected from the river upstream at Bargarh Law College contained 790 MPN/100 ml, which increased to 54000 mpn/100 ml in the sample collected from the downstream at PHED Pada, Bargarh.

The SPCB team also found that untreated urban sewage from the Bargarh town is being directly discharged to the Jeera River by the Bargarh municipality, flouting all the guidelines and rules.

During the hearing of a case, the Bargarh Municipality has itself proposed the setting up of five Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) of 125 KLD at five different locations inside the municipality. We therefore direct the said STPs to be installed and made operational by December 31, 2023.

The SPCB, during inspection conducted on March 21, 2025, found that no such STPs of the said capacity have been installed by the Bargarh Municipality to date, or no document was available with the municipality during inspection regarding STP establishment.

However, the Bargarh Municipality has installed and made operational one Septage Treatment Plant (SeTP) of 30 KLD capacity at Tentela, and has obtained CTO vide letter no – 562 dt.04.03.2022 valid up to dt.31.03.2022.

The NGT further asked the Bargarh Municipality to ensure complete treatment of legacy waste through Biomining/Micro Composting Centres/Material Recovery Facilities by December 31, 2023.

However, the SPCB affidavit exposed that the Municipal Authority has not completed the remediation of the legacy waste at the alleged dumpsite site near the town till the inspection by SPCB team on March 21.

During the inspection, it was observed that approximately 20,000 MT (as enquired with the representative of the unit) only of legacy waste has been bio-mined out of approximately 51,476 MT from the dumping site.

The apex green court of the country also remarked that legacy waste dumpsites have resulted in huge damage to the environment and population in the vicinity of such dump sites, which have suffered in safety, health, and comfort. It has been directed that one-third of the land occupied by legacy dump sites (on reclamation) needs to be reserved for afforestation, but the SPCB in its affidavit clarified that the Bargarh Municipality has no information about such orders.

Meanwhile, the NGT on May 14 asked the Odisha SPCB to file an Action Taken Report by May 20 in connection with action taken against the Bargarh municipality for failing to comply with the instructions of the apex green court.

–IANS