West Burdwan DM forms special team to check pollution
The Statesman | 4 May 2025
The district magistrate of West Burdwan, S Ponnambalam, has formed a special team to monitor rising pollution levels in the Durgapur and Asansol Sadar sub-divisions.
The team comprises officials from the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB), the Divisional Forest Office (DFO) of Durgapur under the department of forests, and members of the district civil administration.
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The special team will oversee whether factories and workshops in these areas are complying with the laws and protocols by the WBPCB.
Mr Ponnambalam stated that although the industrial units had obtained environmental clearance from the ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC) by submitting affidavits at the time of establishment, the special team will verify whether these guidelines are being strictly adhered to.
While the WBPCB will continue its routine monitoring of pollution levels, this special team will function independently to enhance enforcement.
A follow-up meeting on the matter is scheduled for next month, during which the plan will be finalised, Mr Ponnambalam confirmed.
West Burdwan is the largest industrial belt in the state, encompassing the industrial townships of Asansol and Durgapur. In addition to several central public sector undertakings such as the railways, SAIL steel plants in Durgapur and Burnpur, Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW), and thermal power plants of the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), the region is home to state-owned Durgapur Projects Limited (DPL) as well as numerous private-sector steel, sponge iron, fertiliser, CBM production, cement, power, and refractory units.
These large, medium and small-scale industries in Asansol, Durgapur, Jamuria, Burnpur, Chittaranjan and Panagarh contribute significantly to the state exchequer. The air quality index (AQI) of Asansol and Durgapur has been alarmingly high in recent times, with Asansol again recording very high levels on Wednesday.
Concerned by the trend, the Asansol Municipal Corporation (AMC) and the solid waste management department recently organised a seminar on pollution in the region, held at the civic office. The seminar addressed issues such as air and water pollution and legacy waste disposal. A chest physician from the Asansol District and Super Speciality Hospital presented troubling data, highlighting a noticeable increase in patients suffering from chest and lung ailments attributed to air pollution.
The WBPCB has also received several proposals to combat air pollution in the district, including the creation of green buffer zones along its borders.