(From top) Affected farmland at Rugdi village in Chowka; and a sponge iron plant close by. Telegraph pictures

Jamshedpur, May 3: It took some dozen sponge iron units barely five years to reduce 1,500 acres of fertile farmland in Seraikela-Kharsawan to barren swathes, depriving over 10,000 people of their source of livelihood.

The startling revelation was made in a recent survey conducted by the Occupational Safety and Health Association of Jharkhand, an NGO that campaigns for environment issues, and substantiated by laboratory tests of soil and water samples.

According to the survey, 1,500 acres of agricultural land in 40 villages of Kandra, Chowka and Chandil have been destroyed by polluting sponge iron units.

Reports from Calcutta-based Eskaps India Private Limited (copies of which are with The Telegraph) show that soil and water samples from these fields contain toxic compounds such as chromium oxide and hexavalent chromium in quantities far beyond tolerance level.

Secretary of Occupational Safety and Health Association of Jharkhand Samir Carr said the problem had aggravated with sponge iron units in this industrial belt not using necessary equipment such as electrostatic precipitator (ESP) and bag filter to treat toxic fumes and compounds before their release.

An ESP is a highly efficient device to remove toxic particles from flowing gas or air stream using the force of an induced electrostatic charge. A bag filter has a similar function. However, since both equipment are expensive and consume power, most industrial units do without them. Result: Blackened paddy fields and toxic environment.

Local residents claim blatant violation of Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board (JSPCB) norms for sponge iron units. Besides staring at barren acres, they have also started losing cattle in the absence of grazing grounds.

“We cannot grow paddy, as the fields have become barren, and we do not have an alternative source of living as such,” said Badal Mahto of Ratanpur village, which lies in close proximity to a leading sponge iron unit in Kandra.

Carr claimed he had urged the JSPCB to install separate meters at the units for gauging pollution level and to set up effective monitoring committees, but in vain.

Deputy commissioner Rajesh Kumar Sharma said he was aware of the pollution caused by sponge iron units. “But whether it is affecting agricultural land is to be verified by the department concerned,” he added.

Denying allegations, regional officer of JSPCB R.N. Chowdhury said they monitored sponge iron units on a regular basis. “Though we are not aware of damage to such an extent, we are mulling measures to compel all units to use ESPs and bag filters. We are also trying to develop a method to keep tab on pollution level in each unit,” he said, adding that the system would be in place shortly.