Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government is set to hold departmental officers directly accountable for pollution in rivers under their jurisdiction, the state Assembly was informed on Wednesday.
Sharing this information while replying to a question in the House, Forest, Environment & Climate Change Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia said quality test of river water is conducted once in three months, and strict action has been mandated against officials who fail to ensure regular monitoring.
Officials who fail to conduct regular water testing will lose their salaries for one month as river water quality remains a concern in several regions, he said.
“Water gets polluted as waste from different sources is entering rivers. Instruction has been issued for continuous testing. If departmental officers make mistakes, one month of their salary will be withheld,” the Minister said.
Pollution from industrial discharge, solid waste and untreated sewage continues to impact river stretches across the state, he said.
A day earlier, the state government had confirmed that river water at 16 locations across Odisha is currently polluted, based on recent assessments. The affected stretches include the Kathajodi in Cuttack, Daya river and Gangua nullah in Bhubaneswar, Kushabhadra near Bhingarapur in Gop, Brahmani River and Guradi nullah in Rourkela. The pollution is primarily due to to urban wastewater discharge, excessive river water extraction, and local sewer outflows.
