Shanker who along with senior officials and scientists of the JSPCB also visited the Chandrapura Thermal Power Plant (CTPS) of the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) found that the companies were violating pollution norms. The team members collected samples and take out photographs during the visit.

The chairman said the JSPCB had received a number of complaints from the residents related to growing air and water pollution in Bokaro, which forced the board members to conduct surprise inspection here. "We found that the complaints are genuine as there is sheer negligence on part of the companies related to implementing of pollution norms."

While inspecting the BSL plant, the JSPCB team found that battery V and VI of coke oven were releasing harmful smoke and fire in the air. "The BSL management is totally negligent in controlling it. The environment is filled with such a dense smoke and heat that it becomes difficult for the team members to spend sometimes there. How can the BSL employees work in such a polluted environment," asked Shanker. The team has taken photographs of the smoke and fire coming out at the spot.

Later, the JSPCB team visited 910-bedded Bokaro General Hospital (BGH) which is run by the BSL. The team members were surprised to know that the hospital did not have incinerator for disposal of biomedical wastes. "This (the absence of the facility) is posing a serious threat to the environment and health of the people," the chairman said.

However, the BGH management has assured the JSPCB team to install an incinerator by August.

Talking to reporters, Shanker said in July 2010 the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had asked the BSL to follow pollution norms strictly. The CPCB team had then found that emission level in battery V of the coke oven was more than double the limit. "The CPCB in 2012 had charged the BSL Rs 50 lakh as bank guarantee and directed the company to control the pollution level."

Shanker said they found the BSL had not worked on the earlier direction of the CPCB. "There is still huge amount of wastes being released by the BSL in rivers and canals of the area, which is polluting the environment. The dust catchers installed inside the BSL plant to control air pollution are ineffective and outdated. We will take necessary action against the BSL," said Shanker.

The JSPCB team found that the CTPS was polluting the Damodar by releasing liquid ash in to the water. "We found that ash-mixed water is being discharged to the Damodar river by the CTPS plant which is polluting the river," he added.The team has collected samples of the water from the spot. Its report will come after three days following which they would take action," said Shanker.

that JSPCB knows that pollution norms are being hugely violated by small industries, hospitals and others in state. But they began drive targeting first the Public Sector Undertaking's (PSU) so that a strong message should be sent to smaller ones.