Jorhat, June 19: The Pollution Control Board, Assam, has detected several anomalies by the ONGC in dealing with disposal of hazardous wastes at the oil giant?s operation sites in Upper Assam?s Sivasagar district.

The Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) in neighbouring Golaghat district, too, has come under the board?s line of fire for not adhering to prescribed norms while disposing of toxic wastes.

?We have directed both the oil companies to adhere to the prescribed norms at the earliest or face action,? chairman of the board, Jawaharlal Dutta, told the media here today. Dutta is on his first visit to Upper Assam since he assumed charge in April.

Dutta said his team had found a number of rules violations by the ONGC in dealing with release of hazardous wastes. He said there were instances of oil spillage to paddy fields and overflow at a particular tank, posing great danger to humans.

The chairman said the current pollution control system at the Rudrasagar oilfield of the ONGC was outdated and not fit for use any more. He said top ONGC officials had assured him that a new system would be put in place.

?The ONGC officials said the set-up at the Rudrasagar oilfield would be completely dismantled and a new, modern one installed very soon,? Dutta said.

?I have asked the ONGC authorities to rectify the violations of norms within a week,? Dutta said. If the ONGC fails to comply with the direction, the board would take strict action under provisions of the Management of Hazardous Disposal Waste Product Act, 1989 (Amended), he said.

He said in most of the sites where the toxic wastes were released, there were no proper display boards stating the danger and fencing to stop humans and animals from coming in contact with hazardous substances.

Dutta said he was far from satisfied with the current system adopted at the NRL regarding hazardous waste disposal.

He said installations of other oil companies in Upper Assam would also come under the scanner of the Pollution Control Board.

On Saturday, Dutta held a meeting with the owners of private nursing homes of Jorhat and the superintendent of the civil hospital during which he directed them to adhere to the norms in disposal of biomedical wastes.