The polluted Mahanadi river. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, Feb. 28: Cutting across party lines, members in the Odisha Assembly today expressed concern over growing pollution of Brahmani and Mahanadi rivers because of industrial effluents.

BJD member Ashok Chandra Panda wanted to know whether instances of central industrial enterprises releasing their effluents into the rivers had come to the state government’s notice and what steps had been taken by the Odisha State Pollution Control Board in this regard.

Odisha environment minister Debi Prasad Mishra said eleven industries, set up by the Centre, were discharging the effluents into the rivers following treatment. However, the Odisha State Pollution Control Board had issued showcause notices to three central industrial establishments — the Rourkela Steel Plant, the Neelachal Ispat Nigam at Kalinga Nagar and the Iffco fertiliser plant at Paradip — as their effluent treatment measures were not adequate.

“The pollution control board has directed these companies to upgrade their effluent treatment plants,” said the minister. However, the members were not satisfied with the answer and asked whether the board had just discharged its duty by issuing showcause notice.

“The board officials are monitoring as to whether the directives are being complied or not. Those, who have ignored the directives, have faced with closure of their units. However, those who are complying are being allowed time,” said Mishra.

The Rourkela Steel Plant had engaged the Water and Power Consultancy Services as its consultant for upgradation of the effluent treatment plant, the minister said.

NCP leader Amar Prasad Satpathy alleged that the thermal power plants of central government such as the National Aluminium Company (Nalco) and the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) were discharging untreated effluents into Brahmani through its branches.

Mishra said water quality was being monitored at several points in Brahmani and Mahanadi across Odisha and corrective measures were being taken wherever high pollution levels were found.

He added preventive and corrective measures had also been initiated following a breach in an ash pond dyke of the Nalco captive power plant at Angul and NTPC units at Kaniha in Talcher.

Paradip legislator Damodar Rout said the leakage of Paradip-Haldia crude oil pipeline had serious effect on the vegetation and aquatic life in the nearby areas.

The environment minister said the adverse impact of crude oil leakage would be studied.

BJD MLA Debasis Nayak said the functioning of the Odisha State Pollution Control Board itself had been badly affected as the post of its chairman had been lying vacant for long. The board’s district and regional offices were also plagued by lack of manpower and required infrastructure.