Pollution watchdog asks Vedanta to close down 5 power units in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha State Pollution Control Board(OSPCB) on Thursday issued a notice to Vedanta Aluminium Ltd (VAL) asking it to close down its five power units at Katikela in Jharsuguda district.

Following a breach in the ash pond dyke wall at Jharsuguda at the end of August, the OSPCB served a direction resulting in a temporary closure of three units of 135 MW each of the 1215 MW Captive Power Plant (CPP), and two units of 600 MW each of the 2400 MW power plant.

The remaining units of the 1215 MW plant have been allowed to operate until October 12, 2017, and the remaining units of the 2400MW plant have been allowed to operate until September 20, 2017.

The pollution watchdog took the action following a breach in Vedanta plant’s ash pond No.2 embankment near Katikela on August 28 that led to inundation of ash on agricultural land at the village.

The company in a statement tit is complying with the order of SPCB along with a request for revoking the said closure orders.”

The company is working towards the lifting of the SPCB closure orders at the earliest, to ensure that aluminium production is not affected, said the statement.