Pollution a direct consequence of industrial progress has become a great problem in this city .

Pollution a direct consequence of industrial progress has become a great problem in this city .

Pollution a direct consequence of industrial progress is becoming a huge problem in this city now. The big and small factories here emit tons of harmful smoke everyday leading to thick layer of smog which causes burning sensation to eyes and breathing trouble. Though Durgapur is shining in all other fields but the fastest growing city is reeling under pollution and probably it is the biggest hurdle in the growth of this Steel City and the only fact of concern for a healthy living. Being an industrial hub the pollution level in Durgapur is one of the highest in this country. Industrial pollution is destroying the environment in a number of ways and negatively impacts human lives and health. Pollutants killing  animals and plants, misbalancing  ecosystems, degrading air quality radically and  damaging  buildings and generally demeaning  quality of life as a whole in this city now.

                “Presence of a large number of industries in Durgapur is the biggest reason for the high level of pollution in this industrial town. Industrial pollution is the pollution which directly linked with industry in contrast to other pollution sources. Diseases like gastritis, constipation, diabetes, asthma, bronchitis, heart attack and failure of kidney are some of the most prevalent diseases among the people living in Durgapur. Irrespective of age, most of Durgapurians suffer from the above mentioned diseases. Use of inhaler has become a common practice and even the kids are in the habit of taking inhaler for their various respiratory problems” – says Dr. S. R. Bhowmick of DTPS Hospital.

                Sponge Iron also known as direct reduced iron is extracted from iron ore and is used in the making of steel. With rise in the global demand for steel over the past few years the sponge iron industry has also seen a boom. As a result in this southern part of Durgapur there is a number of Sponge Iron and Ferro Alloy Factories and all are polluting the environment of this area heavily. Factory workers are highly vulnerable to this uncontrolled pollution. The residents of Angadpur, Raturia, Arjunpur, Purusha all have protested jointly several times to the SDO and the Pollution Control Board but no action has yet been taken. They all are in favour of the closure of the Sponge Iron Factories in these thickly populated areas instead these should be established in some distant land out from the locality. They say unanimously that “we cannot open our doors and windows. Always there is a thick layer of dust on the floor. Pond and well water becomes so polluted that we are unable to use them. Small aqua creatures and fishes are dying for such pollutants in the water. We cannot move in these areas in open eyes. Due to closure of our doors and windows we are compelled to live in suffocated atmosphere in our home”. After a heavy and vehement protest some of the factory owners have installed Electrostatic Precipitators but they run these units during day time and from the evening they close such units to minimize their Electricity Bills and run the factory carelessly and the result is emitting of heavy dust particles during night.

Polluting agents are not only the Thermal Plants, Sponge Iron Factories, Cement Factories, Chemical Plants and Carbon factories in this city, the air here is constantly being polluted due to running of vehicular traffic in a large scale which emit huge amount of carbon monoxide. Petrol and Diesel driven motor vehicles produce high levels of Carbon Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, major source of Hydrocarbons and Nitrogen oxides. Fuel combustion in stationary sources is the dominant source of Carbon Dioxide and Sulphur Dioxide. Administrative Authorities are very much cautious about the valid pollution certificate of the two wheelers around the city but very reluctant about the same for the heavy vehicles particularly the old and used trucks which emits more carbon monoxide. Police force are inspecting the valid pollution certificate of the two wheelers in the busiest points of this city and giving seizure list and imposing fines to them is not a rare scene here but imposing fine to the heavy vehicles for the same reason is a rare happening  here.

                “The inhalation of particles has been linked with illness and deaths from heart and lung disease as a result of both short and long term exposures. People with heart and lung disease may experience chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue etc. Inhalation of particulate matter can increase susceptibility to respiratory infections such as Asthma, Chronic Bronchitis. The general medical term given for such lung disease is ‘Pneumoconiosis ‘says Dr. B. R. Dutta of Sagarbhanga, Durgapur’.

                As misery never comes alone, like that pollution of this city is not only limited to the industries and vehicular traffics, water pollution is equally an important field of concern. The water of Damodar is polluted with minerals, mine rejects and toxic effluents. Both its water and its sand are infested by coal dust and waster from the industries that have sprung up here in a large scale. Since coal based industries of all types here come-up in the area because of locational advantages and the easy availability of water and power the city is dotted with various industries varying from steel, cement, thermal power, chemicals and all are reducing their waste products and releasing different toxic metals which are causing severe damage to the water quality of Damodar

                “Durgapur was once covered with forests. Even a few years ago pollution was never a menace in Durgapur because of the coverage of greenery all around. But the recent fast pace of urbanization in and around Durgapur has led to massive downsizing of the forest covering aiding in pollution. But the balance for the indiscriminate cutting of trees and converting forests into dwelling places and afforestation is surely not maintained in this city since long years  - such is the view of the Sr. Citizens of this city.”

Kanchan Kumar Chatterjee.