Koksara & Ladugaon areas of Kalahandi are polluted, Public life is Disrupted

Dushmant Panda,Odishabarta

BHAWANIPATNA:Kalahandi has become a hotbed of contamination in the Koksara block of Kalahandi district.  The village of Ladugaon in the Ladugaon panchayat is a commercial hub, with a population of more than 15,000. In addition, about two to three thousand people from the surrounding area come for there every day for business. Although the crowded Ladugaon is the Gram Panchayat headquarters, it is no less than a small urban area.

More than 10 rice mills have been set up around Ladugaon, while the smoke has spread throughout the village, creating the illusion of black clouds. Even the black coverings on the doors of the house are covered with black shade. The water from the rice mills is foul-smelling, polluting the surrounding area and increasing the number of pests. In the recent past, the stinking water of rice mills has accumulated and spread to deadly areas like dengue fever in Ladugaon area.

Richards waste from the rice mills are being dumped on the outside side of the rice mills on public roadside, while people are being harassed during traffic.

Many complain that the wind blows in the road and that the eyes of the passers by get worse.

Ponds near the water discharged from the rice mill have been reported to be infected with various skin diseases, while cattle and other animals have been reported to be suffering from various diseases.

Residents of the Ladugaon area have been complaining of water pollution for many years, while rice mill owners have been living in air-conditioned homes and using their personnel tube wells and aqua water ignoring the problems faced by the local people causing their rics mill waste like water and Rakhad.he While the State Pollution Control Board is enforcing the Water Treatment Project (ETP), rice mill owners in Ladugaon appear to be ignoring it.

Even water from the Vaishnodevi Rice Mill in Dangariguda on the Moter-Koksara NH-26, creates the illusion of a large pond of contaminated water on the land besides the NH26 National Highway.

According to the state pollution board, there is no water treatment project (ETP) in the rice mill and the rice mill owner ignoring the water and environment polluted by the locals, rice mill owners alleged.

 On the other hand, there is a general demand for a high-level investigation into the pollution levels of these rice mills, which other people consider to be the worst case scenario if they are harassed.