Sambalpur: Mahanadi river is polluted and sewage from three cities is mixed
Sambalpur: At the bottom of the Hirakud Dam, the water level of the river is getting very polluted all year round. The condition of the river here depends mainly on the Hirakud Dam. The low water level in the river during the closure of the Hirakud Gate is highly polluted and unusable. The year-round river water is of C or D grade which is not suitable for bathing. During the dry season, the water is most polluted and has “D grade”.
All the yak sewers in Burla, Hirakud and Sambalpur are flowing into the river. Waste water from these three cities is flowing into the riverbed at six places from Sambalpur to Hirakud. The floodwaters have risen sharply in recent months. Although there are rules for wastewater treatment in urban areas, this has not yet been possible in the case of Sambalpur. At present, the Sambalpur sewage treatment plant has not been operational, while the Mahanadi has become the only drainage point for all types of wastewater. Not only waste water, but also the city’s dry waste is dumped in the river bed. The river bed near Lakshmi Dunguri has become an undeclared dumping yard. The corpses of dead cows, dogs, etc., including plastic waste, are also being dumped there. Various domestic factories and businesses are dumping their garbage in the river overnight. Wastes and debris from the construction site are also piled up in the river bed. As soon as the floodwaters recede from Hirakud, all these filths accumulate in the water and go down to the bottom, polluting the river. Even now people have the habit of defecating in the open. Despite widespread awareness and the construction of public toilets, thousands of people still do not have the habit of going to the toilet.
In addition to the city’s wastewater, large industrial enterprises in Hirakud are also said to have mixed wastewater. Locals complain that the factory is pumping water from the Hirakud drainage canal. However, according to an official of the Pollution Control Board, no industrial wastewater is mixed with the river. The water used by industrial plants is recycled and recycled. However, due to urban drainage, the river water from Hirakud to Sambalpur has become unusable. However, the administration claims that the sewerage project will be partially commissioned soon. After that, the sewage from the river in Binakhandi will be pumped from the Commissionerate Colony Pumping Station and sent to the SATP in Bhatara, without leaving the river. It is said to have been released into the river after treatment.
