KalingaTV News Network
Jharsuguda: Acres of paddy crops were submerged under liquid ash in Katikela village near the Vedanta Aluminium plant in Jhasuguda district on Monday night following a breach in the ash pond of the plant. Irate locals staged a protest before the main gate of the plant today morning and demanded compensation for crop loss.
According to reports, ash pond no. 2 of the plant suffered a breach in the embankment yesterday night, causing liquid ash ingress into Katikela village merely 100 metres away from the plant. That incident spread chaos in the area as the liquid ash entered several houses in the village.Water in the Bheden River also got affected badly due to the ash slurry discharged into it by the breach.
The situation took an ugly turn this morning after hundreds of villagers staged a ‘dharna’ before Vedanta Aluminium plant gate and locked it up. Agitators claimed that plant authorities did not wake up from slumber despite repeated cautioning by the villagers on the dilapidated condition of the ash pond, which caused the breach yesterday. They feared that the ash pond no. 3 is also in a dilapidated state and might collapse any moment, if not repaired.
Villagers demanded immediate compensation rom the district administration for their crop loss.
“While the Vedant authorities had already been suggested by the villagers to set up the ash pond at a minimum distance of 200 metres from the village they did not pay heed to it. Apart from digging a pond within 100 metres radius of the village, they were releasing more ash to the pond and forming a layer by layer dumping structure which gave rise to the problem. Around 70-80 acres of paddy crop got inundated by the liquid ash,” said Radhamohan Kunwar, a resident of Katikela.
Meanwhile, the Jharsuguda Collector has ordered district agriculture, revenue, and pollution control board officials to conduct a probe into the matter and submit an assessment report at the earliest.
