HEAT WAVE WOES IN TALCHER REMAIN OUT OF GEAR
Dhiramohan Ray,Odishabarta
Talcher,( 25/05(26):The Talcher has been experiencing very hot and dry day with hazy sunshine and the temperature was more than 47°C for the last three days. Today, it was 46 degree in Talcher.
The temperature invoking widespread fear amongst local residents. Talcher has always remained hotter than other parts of Odisha state mainly because of the coal mines and the existence of thermal power plants. The massive reduction of forest cover due to coal mining and other industries results in high temperatures in the area as compared to places around it. There are 10 opencast coal mines where hundreds of acres of coal seams are exposed. The random cutting of trees, a regular process due to coal mines but the rate of plantation is very poor, so that the condition of the mining city is out of gear. The coal stock yards also absorb the sun ray and heat up the area.
Besides mining activities, there are thousands of heavy vehicles plying to transport coal every day, emitting a huge amount of carbon dioxide in the air. “The degraded environment and rising temperature are man-made. Each day, above 1 lakh tonne of coal are burnt by the three thermal power plants owned by Nalco and NTPC, JITPL and other coal base power plants in the region,” said Bauribandhu Bez govt. Pleader and environmentalist.
“There has been massive deforestation for the sake of industries and not enough compensatory forestation to make up for the loss of green cover in the area. Both the state and central governments have to be blamed for Talcher being a hotter place,” further said Sri Bez. But, according to govt. officials, the rising temperature is not man made, its a global issue to be measured and precautions may be taken into account urgently for prevention of this massive cause. Availability of drinking water for the wild lives and other animals are now a big challenge for forest dept to save the uncountable natural forestry lives.
