Baripada: With Odisha - long considered one of India’s greener States - recently making headlines for air pollution and Baripada figuring among the polluted urban centres, the Mayurbhanj district administration has rolled out a series of strict measures to arrest further deterioration in air quality.

The move comes with the unsettling inclusion of the town - along with Balasore and Talcher - among India’s five most among the country’s five most polluted urban centres in recent weeks. While this has come as a surprise, it has also added a new dimension to the State’s air quality debate given Baripada's proximity to 4,000-sq-km Similipal Biosphere Reserve, its otherwise green surroundings and lack of major industrial activity.

With the Air Quality Index (AQI) crossing 300 on several occasions over the past fortnight, the district administration has now stepped in with a series of stringent measures aimed at curbing pollution and preventing further deterioration of air quality in the town. In an order dated 06.01.2026 passed under Section 163  Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), Collector Hema Kanta Say issued prohibitory and regulatory measures to be brought into force with immediate effect in the town. 

Emergency curbs enforced

The guidelines, which acknowledged the serious threat to public health due to deteriorated air quality and rise in particulate matter, include:

  1. All construction activities, including road works, building work, strengthening and widening works to be carried out by taking necessary pollution preventive measures.
  2. Construction and demolition waste to be disposed of as per the Construction and Demolition Waste Rules, 2016
  3. Any demolition or earthwork to be carried out with adequate provisions of dust suppression measures.

  4. All ULBs, NHAI and all other Executing Agencies shall ensure water sprinkling on major roads and construction stretches at least at an interval of 3 hours to suppress road dust.
  5. PD NHAI and other Executing Agencies to ensure regular sprinkling of water over under-construction sites in the district.
  6. Wet drilling and control blasting for mineral extraction, road widening
    and strengthening, to be ensured by the Mining officer/PD, NHAI or other
    Executing Agencies as applicable'
  7.  All ULBs of the district  to clean their roads and lift the accumulated dust from roads immediately
  8. Open burning of wastes, coal burning in Dhaba etc. and open fire of any kind to be prohibited.
  9. The Chief District Agriculture Officer to ensure prohibition of stubble burning / crop residues in agricultural land in the district.
  10. Bursting of firecrackers within the district to be restricted.
  11.  No vehicles carrying construction materials like fly ash' sand' crusher dust etc to be allowed without tarpaulin cover on NH, SH and city roads
  12. No Brick kiln unit shall operate without valid permission from the competent authority'
  13. All crusher Units to install and maintain green fencing' wind-breaking walls and dust suppression mechanisms including lP cameras
  14. Citizens are encouraged to use public transport / Bicycle / E-Vehicles or other nonpolluting traditional modeJ of transport
  15. Relentless or unnecessary construction activities contributlng to dust pollution to be avoided

These restrictive measures will remain in force for the next seven days, the notification stated. 

Also read: Restrictions on construction activities imposed in Balasore following high AQI