BHUBANESWAR:

While Opposition parties and social organisations have launched a public movement against use of water from the river Mahanadi for industrial purposes, trade union leader Mayadhar Nayak today said a similar movement would be launched to save the Brahmani river from industrial pollution.  Alleging that the Brahmani, the second largest river of the State, has been polluted to an irreparable extent by mine owners and industries, Nayak said that the Government was not taking action against the polluters who are releasing industrial effluents into the river water.  Addressing a media conference here today, Nayak said that apart from pollution, the Brahmani and its tributary Kharasrota are slowly dying due to over exploitation of flow water and groundwater in the basin areas of the two rivers.  At least, 20 big and small sponge iron units in Bonai sub-division, steel plants and cement factories in Sundargarh district, mineral-based industries and thermal power plants in Angul and Talcher areas, about 14 chromite mines in Sukinda valley and new industries coming up on both sides of the river are not only using its water but polluting the river by releasing industrial effluents.  He further alleged that a large number of industries are exploiting groundwater unauthorisedly.  In 1995, environmental and water experts while expressing deep concern over the increasing pollution of the Brahmani water, had recommended to the Government to take stringent measures against the industries polluting the river. However, the Government is yet to take any remedial measures, he rued.  A large number of people of Sudargarh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Jajpur and Kendrapara districts, who depend on the river, are getting serious health problems due to consumption of polluted water from the river.  He attributed the decline in the water flow in the river system to large scale deforestation in the catchment areas and over exploitation of groundwater in the basin.