Jajpur: A joint probe team ruling out any environmental violation in the construction of a logistics park on a sal forest land under Danagadi tehsil in Jajpur district has led to resentment among environmentalists and local residents, a report said.
Kalinganagar Parivesh Surakshya Samiti, an environmental outfit, has alleged that the logistics park is being constructed by Saizer Ltd on 11.990 acre sal forest land in Jakhpura mouza under Danagadi tehsil in violation of environmental norms.
Raising doubts over the report of the joint probe team, the outfit has filed an affidavit with the National Green Tribunal. The outfit suspects that the report has been manipulated to suit the interestsd of the firm.
The NGT admitting the objections in the affidavit had directed the regional office of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests in Bhubaneswar to file reply on the matter January 6. The next date of hearing has been fixed February 18.
The joint team had conducted a probe on the direction of NGT. The team visited the spot and filed a report before the NGT in the second week of November.
The team in its report has claimed that the forest land has been converted to non-forest land for construction of the logistics park under Forest Protection Act-1980.
The committee has also claimed that no environmental clearance is required for the construction on the basis of environment impact assessment notification 2006
The company has been accused of filling up two ponds as part of its proposed project without getting environmental clearance, but the administration is mum over it, it was alleged.
Local people used to depend on the two ponds for agriculture activities. During drought, farmers would use the water from the ponds to save their crops.
The firm had filled up the ponds with 20,000 truckloads of ash. This has become a cause of concern for the local farmers.
Locals were surprised as the administration has turned a blind eye to the illegal activities of the company. As the land belongs to the jungle category, the tehsil administration had denied the company permission for construction activities.
It was alleged that both the forest and the revenue departments have been cooperating with the company in the construction activities on the forest land. Before carrying out any activities on the forest land, it is mandatory to seek conversion of the land and environment clearance.
When contacted, project head Bikash Singh ruled out any wrongdoing. He said that the firm had taken the land on lease from IDCO and there is no need of consent to operate at this stage as only the compound wall and levelling work have been completed. The Odisha State Pollution Control Board in its letter (1356, dated-26.07.2019) has allowed for establishment of the logistics parks.
The Central Ground Water Authority has also allowed it for use of ground water (letter 2019/5631) while two bore-wells have been established under the watch of the probe team. The company has also paid the revenue for use of soil and murram in the land levelling works.
Meanwhile, data available under RTI shows plot 865 and 876 (9 khata 419) come under sal forest category of land. IDCO has sold this two acre near Biju Patnaik Park to the company. This needs to be probed.
When contacted, OSPCB regional officer Pramod Kumar Behera said that the Union Environment and Forest Ministry will take a call on the issue.
PNN