Talcher, one of Odisha’s mining hubs, has been grappling with severe air pollution and last week emerged as the country’s most polluted town, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 335.

Alarmed by the worsening situation, the Angul district administration has imposed a series of restrictions for seven days in an effort to bring pollution levels under control.

Over the past week, Talcher has recorded extreme AQI levels ranging from 332 to nearly 400, placing it firmly in the “very poor” to “severe” category.

Besides Talcher, other towns in Odisha such as Angul and Baripada have also emerged as highly polluted cities. On Sunday, Balasore figured among the most polluted cities in the country, with its air quality index indicating very poor air quality. The air quality of Bhubaneswar, too, has been categorised as poor.

In view of the deteriorating air quality in the Talcher Municipality area and considering the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Stage II guidelines, the Angul district administration has imposed a set of restrictions aimed at curbing dust
and emissions.

“In view of this emergency, this order is made ex-parte u/s 9163 (2) of the BNSS. This order shall remain in force for a period of seven days unless extended,” the district collector said in an order issued on Saturday.

As per the order of the district collector, Angul, all construction activities have been prohibited between 6pm and 10am every day. Any demolition or earthwork to be carried out within the municipal limits has also been prohibited during this period.

The order further stated that the municipality, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) shall carry out water sprinkling on all roads at least three times a day to suppress dust.

Entry of heavy trucks into Talcher town has been completely prohibited. Open burning of waste, coal burning in dhabas and open fire of any kind have also been banned. Trucks without proper covering or tarpaulin will not be permitted to ply on National Highway-149.

“The police, municipality, all executing agencies and the RTO have been instructed to ensure strict compliance,” the order said. “The sub-divisional magistrate, Talcher, shall ensure daily monitoring and submit compliance reports on a daily basis.”

Local residents said Talcher and Angul towns are known for intensive mining activities, which have contributed significantly to air pollution over the years. Thousands of trucks carrying minerals pass through these towns every day, releasing large amounts of dust and emissions.

Locals pointed out that the situation has worsened due to prevailing weather conditions. They said dust generated by mineral-laden trucks, coupled with dense fog, has aggravated air pollution levels.

However, air quality in Talcher showed some improvement on Sunday, although it continued to remain in the “very poor” category. Prolonged exposure to such air quality can lead to respiratory illnesses.

Eminent environmentalist Biswajit Mohanty said the problem was not limited to Talcher alone. “Not only Talcher, but other towns like Angul, Baripada, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack have also emerged as highly polluted towns,” he said.

Mohanty also targeted the State Pollution Control Board over the issue. “What are they doing? Hundreds of trucks carrying sand enter the town at midnight and unload without any water being sprinkled to suppress dust. This is one of the main reasons pollution levels are rising, yet no one seems to be addressing it,” Mohanty said.

However, what baffled the environmentalist was that towns such as Baripada and Balasore have emerged as polluted cities despite being surrounded by dense
forest cover.