Odisha’s Talcher tops AQI list: 7-day pollution curbs imposed by admin

After Talcher emerged as the most polluted city in the country, the administration has imposed strict measures to control air pollution. 

A seven-day restriction has been enforced in Talcher to curb the deteriorating air quality, in line with GRAP Stage-2 guidelines. 

Office of the Collector and District Magistrate, Angul has issued a notification in this regard on Saturday.

"In light of the poor air quality in Talcher Municipality and considering the GRAP Stage-II guidelines, these restrictions are imposed in Talcher Municipality area. All construction activities are prohibited during 6.00 PM to 10.00 AM every day. Any demolition or earth work to be carried out within the Municipality limits is prohibited. The Municipality, NHAI and MCL shall carry out water sprinkling on all roads at least 3 times a day. Entry of heavy trucks inside Talcher town is completely prohibited. Open burning of waste, coal burning in dhaba etc and open fire of any kind are completely prohibited," read the notification.

"Sub-Collector, Talcher and RTO, Talcher shall issue separate restrictions on the movement of all the coal and ash trucks during day time. No trucks without covering/tarpauline shall be permitted to ply on the NH-149. NHAI and Executive Engineer, NH Division, Pallahara shall ensure sprinkling of water at all their construction sites. In view of this emergency, this order is made ex-parte u/s 163(2) of the BNSS," the notification further read.

This order shall remain in force for a period of seven days unless extended. The police, Municipality, all executing agencies and RTO have been ordered to ensure strict compliance. As per the notification, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Talcher shall ensure daily monitoring and submit compliance on a daily basis to this Office.

Talcher and Angul continue to feature among the most polluted cities in the country. As of 9 am, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in six cities across India crossed 300, entering the 'severe' category, out of which four cities were from Odisha.

Also Read: Talcher becomes most polluted city as Odisha air quality worsens

With an AQI of 355, Talcher ranked as the most polluted city in the country, followed by Angul at second place with an AQI of 329. Baripada stood third with an AQI of 324. Meanwhile, Cuttack recorded an AQI of 304, and Bhubaneswar registered an AQI of 302.

"The main reason behind the pollution in the area is that the industrial and mining sectors are not using eco-friendly equipment and are not complying with their legal obligations," said a local resident.

"More than one lakh metric tonnes of coal are burnt on a daily basis, making it the primary cause of pollution. Additionally, the transportation of coal by trucks is also contributing significantly to air pollution," said another local resident.