Odisha held its sixth Pollution Control Committee meeting on Friday. Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja chaired the session at Lok Seva Bhavan.
The meeting focused on improving pollution monitoring at state and district levels.
Senior officials from key departments attended. These included Forest and Environment, Agriculture, Urban Development, Transport, Industry, Water Resources, and Rural Development. Additional Chief Secretary Satyabrata Sahu and Agriculture Principal Secretary Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee joined the discussions. Uma Nanduri, Member Secretary of the State Pollution Control Board, presented the proposals.
The committee reviewed the fifth session’s decisions. It assessed progress under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) and the State Clean Air Programme (SCAP). NCAP covers cities like Rourkela, Talcher, Balasore, Rayagada, Cuttack, and Bhubaneswar. The programme targets a 40% reduction in PM10 and PM2.5 levels over five years.
Officials identified major pollution sources. These include road dust, construction, diesel vehicles, and industrial emissions. The committee pushed for long-term solutions. It promoted solar, wind, and electric energy.
The state added 12 more cities to SCAP. These include Berhampur, Belpahar, Brajrajnagar, Jharsuguda, Joda, Keonjhar, Paradip, Puri, Rajgangpur, Sambalpur, Banai, and Badbil. Odisha proposed a ₹150 crore annual budget from 2025 to 2030 for this plan.
The Chief Secretary urged departments to work with district collectors. He stressed the need to protect air quality during urban and industrial growth. He also encouraged afforestation and green zone development.
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