Paradip: The seashore stretching from the Mahanadi river mouth in Paradip to Harishpur-Marichipur in Jagatsinghpur district is regarded as a reserve forest.
Unfortunately, there are only signboards that would indicate that this area is a reserve forest, but there are no plantations or wild animals to prove the fact.
With an aim to provide drinking water facility to animals and birds, a pond was dug in the forest, spending lakhs of rupees from the government treasury in 2017-18.
Similarly, the Forest Department had constructed a beat house at the shore on the outskirts of Sandhakuda slum.
Once, the stretch from the seashore adjoining Paradip town to Ersama Balikuda was covered with ‘Hental’ forest.
However, there is no sign of ‘Hental’ forest on the stretch now, making it meaningless to term the stretch as a reserve forest.
One or two trees can be found in some places in this ‘forest’. But Casuarina trees that were planted after the super cyclone can be seen.
Over the years the Hental forest has given space to industries. Since 1960 a vast stretch of ‘Hental’ forest has been cleared and as many as 15 mega industries have come up in its place.
There used to be ‘Hental’ forest over 180 square kilometres area at places near Mahanadi mouth. But, this ‘forest’ area is also set to get swallowed by industrialization.
Since November 2014, this forest is being cleared up and buried phase wise for industry expansion.
Between 2005 to 2012, lakhs of trees were felled at Dhinkia Nuagaon near Paradip for POSCO project.
Considering the current scenario, the digging of a pond for wild animals is regarded as a means to siphon off government money, it was alleged.
The foundation stone for the Paradip port was laid January 3, 1962. Senior fisherman Yajna Rout said, “Prior to the setting up of Paradip port, there used to be dense ‘Hental’ forest at the seashore area. About 57 small to big rivers covering 22,995 acres of land used to flow from Santara in Jagatsinghpur district to Mahakalpara in Kendrapara district.
The rapid industrialisation has had a catastrophic impact on these rivers and forest, Rout added.
The beat house constructed by the Forest Department to guard the jungle has, in fact, no forest in its surrounding.
And, there is none staying at this beat house too for various problems.
“The beat house is far from the human habitation. This apart, it has no water and electricity connection. For these problems, it has been difficult for anyone to stay in the beat house,” said Saujendra Das, a forest guard.
Kujang forest range officer Pratap Chandra Mohanty said, “Pond digging is department’s regular affair. For making drinking water available to wild animals and birds in summer, such ponds are being dug in various jungles and reserve forest areas.”
PNN