IDCO’s efforts to construct a boundary wall over the land acquired for the shelved Posco plant so that it could prevent encroachments and reserve it for industrial use has been stalled yet again. Reliable sources said the ministry of environment and forest has asked IDCO to stop work in view of forest clearance related issues raised by villagers in a petition filed with the NGT.
IDCO had decided to build the boundary wall over 1,700 acres of land, earlier meant for the Posco project, to prevent encroachers. The boundary wall is likely to be built around 18 km covering adjacent villages Nuagaon, Gobindapur, Polanga, Gadakujanga and Baynapalakanda at an estimated cost of Rs 13 crore for protection of this land for land bank for future industrial purpose especially for the proposed JSW steel.
Despite protest and stir from local villagers, IDCO did try to expedite work and it did so over 2 km stretch. Meanwhile, Bhamarbar Das of Govindpur had filed writ petition in the eastern zone Bench of the National Green Tribunal alleging that the ongoing construction was illegal and violated the Forest Right Act (FRA) and the Forest (Conservation) Act.
With regard to the right to settlement on forest land for traditional forest dwellers, the processes prescribed in the FRA have not been completed in the area. Without completion of the process, the forest diversion should not have happened stated Das. Mr Das had also filed petition against MOEF, forest and environment department of Govt of Odisha, IDCO authorities for illegal boundary construction by felling of trees.
He claimed that IDCO did not have any forest clearance for the forestland involved in its project while it is going ahead with tree felling activity and construction of boundary wall in Dhinkia, Nuagaon and Gadakujang panchyat.
Out of 1620.496 hectares which was proposed for Posco steel plant, about 1253.225 hectares is forest land which included 68.98 hectares of Jatadhar Reserve Forest, 1106.877 of Dhinkia-Nuagaon Protected forest, 27.68 hectare of Noliasahi Protected Forest and 49.688 hectares of revenue forest.
Sarpanch of Gadakujang , Sampad Kumar Barik concurred to this view and went on to note that IDCO had illegally acquired betel vine, private land of local people for construction of boundary causing agitation by people. Erasama Tehsildar Anjali Tarai said construction work has stopped for over 20 days.
Forest Range Officer, Kujang Mr Pratap Chandra Mohanty admitted that the forest and environment department, has asked IDCO authority to submit forest clearance document and not to carry out with further construction or deforestation.