Banna concerned over river pollution

JAMSHEDPUR: State health and disaster management minister Banna Gupta has expressed concern over untreated effluents flowing into the Subarnarekha and Kharkai rivers from the big and small drains of the Steel City. Both rivers are the main source of drinking water for the more than 15 lakh residents of the Tata Steel command and non-command areas here and also for the industries which needed huge amounts of water to run.
According to official figures, as many as 39 drains which included nearly 12 storm drains, are directly connected to the two rivers passing through the city.

Gupta particularly expressed concern over the untreated water being supplied to the non-command area. In the Tata Steel command area, the firm supplies piped water after treatment in the Sakchi plants.
Earlier on Friday, Gupta, who launched a beautification and cleanliness drive of Subarnarekha and Kharkai banks, asked Tata Steel to use the untreated drain water for its plantation drive across Jamshedpur. He said it would lead to large-scale water recycling and check pollution levels in the rivers.
Highlighting that many drains flood low-lying areas near the rivers during monsoons, Gupta suggested that this drain water can be used for drinking and other purposes after proper treatment.
According to a recent test done by the state pollution board, the pH level of the Subarnarekha was found to be 9, which ideally should be 7 for drinking purposes. Samples were collected by the board from 14 places from the river in the Kolhan division. The regional officer of the state pollution control council, Jitendra Singh, admitted that the pollution in Subarnarekha and Kharkai rivers is quite high.
Five years ago, the National Green Tribunal instructed the civic bodies functioning in Jamshedpur to set up effluent treatment plants to purify the drain water before being released to the rivers. However, not a single plant has been installed by the civic bodies so far.
Only the companies owned by the Tata Group, a few others in the Adityapur industrial belt and Hindustan Copper Limited are draining water into the rivers after treatment.