Kendrapara: In order to facilitate the renovation and expansion work of Cuttack-Chandbali state highway (SH) in Kendrapara, hundreds of trees were felled about 15 years ago. However, not a single tree has been planted along the highway and roadsides since the last 15 years, thanks to the negligent attitude of the authorities concerned.
With the mercury on the rise in the district and local commuters facing utter difficulties, many of them have resented the lackadaisical attitude of authorities concerned for not taking up any afforestation drive.
As per the Forest (Conservation) Act-1980, saplings of at least double the number of trees cut off in forest lands and as many as ten times the number in case of non-forest lands should immediately be planted, in order to restore a forest cover lost for any development work.
According to a source, the renovation and expansion work was started in 2006 after the road was accorded the status of state highway.
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It was then decided that the work be completed within the next three years and an agreement was accordingly inked with the contract firm concerned. Following which, the residents of 95 nearby villages of Cuttack and Kendrapara districts were displaced and a number of local markets were demolished to accommodate the expansion.
Massive acquisition drive for the private lands was carried out and 64 religious and other establishments were also shifted elsewhere.
“Many large trees of Chakunda (Foetid Cassia), Karanja (Pongamia Pinnata), Neem and Mango were axed from alongside the road in between Jagatpur in Cuttack district and Chandbali in Bhadrak via Kendrapara and Pattamundai, including a number of the fruit-bearing coconut trees in Rajkanika block. Despite unusual delay owing to multiple reasons, the renovation and expansion work was completed around four years ago,” a local social activist Pratap Padhy said.
“Environment is always given priority during a road laying work. It is said that, apart from other trees, more than 5,000 large fruit-bearing trees alone were cut before the road work started. Several trees were chopped off in the name of development, there by causing ecological unbalance in the region,” another activist Banambar Sahu stated.
Acacia trees are being planted elsewhere in the district, which does not suffice the need of afforestation, the local activist Sahu rued.
A resident of Rajkanika named Saroj Kumar Das expressed his deep concern alleging that, “A fund of Rs 87 lakh previously sanctioned to carry out afforestation activities at the roadsides of Cuttack-Chandbali state highway has been embezzled. It was decided that as many as 3,100 coconut trees would have been planted at the roadside under the block. Hardly, there exist at least 31 coconut trees at present.”
Agitations and roadblocks were previously staged in this regard by the residents of Rajkanika block. Erstwhile Kendrapara district Collector Reghu G had committed to order for an enquiry, but of no avail.
On being contacted, Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Durgacharan Mohanty said, “Priority has been given to afforestation at roadsides of other state highways in Kendrapara. However, the case of Cuttack-Chandbali state highway in particular will be reviewed soon.”
PNN