PARADIP: Rampant illegal sand lifting from Paradip coast and Mahanadi river in Kujang and Tirtol tehsils of Jagatsinghpur district has posed erosion threat to vast stretch of agricultural land.
Despite restrictions, the construction agency of a science park in the port town has been allegedly lifting sand from Baliyatra Ground on Paradip sea beach. Similarly, other contractors have been transporting sand for construction work of several industries by violating the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Act. While the use of machines has been banned under the Minor Minerals Act, 1963 and by NGT orders, those are being used rampantly.
With the protective barriers of beaches vanishing, the sea has engulfed fishing settlements in Paradip and Erasama coastal villages, putting livelihood at stake. Locals fear huge stretch of agricultural land as well as many establishments are at risk of river erosion because of the illegal sand lifting.
The locals said beaches and coasts are amazing wonders of nature. Out of 485 km of coastline along the Bay of Bengal in Odisha, the district has a stretch of over 48 km which supports an incredible diversity of wildlife like Olive Ridley turtles, red crabs and other marine species. But the illegal practice has posed serious threat to these species besides creating problems for the tourism as well as livelihood of the people who largely depend on the river ecosystem, they added.
Villagers of Pathuria, Mahal, Kaladip, Badapal, Pankpal and Mantripatana of Kujang tehsil alleged that due to rampant sand lifting by construction agencies, hundreds of acres of paddy and vegetable land in the area will be waterlogged during rainy season. Though permits were given for sand mining in 6.45 acres by District Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority, it has been going on in 31 acres in the area, they said.
Villagers, ecologists and environmentalists, led by BJP leader Rashmiranjan Samantray and Sampad Swain, met the tehsildars of Kujang and Tirtol and sought their intervention in the matter. They demanded stern action against errant contractors for illegal lifting of sand from costal line and urged to fill up the vacant land.
Prafulla Patnaik, director of Nature Drive Trust of India (NDTI), which has been working on protection of environment, said excessive extraction of sand would intensify sea erosion and affect bio-diversity. Extraction will affect beaches and estuaries in Odisha coastline, he added.Kujang Tehsildar Basudev Satpathy said the administration has received the allegations of illegal extraction of sand from sea beach of Paradip and other areas. Steps are being taken to check the practice, he added.
Meanwhile, hundreds of BJP workers led by Gatikrushna Satpathy on Monday staged a demonstration in front of Jatadhari Muhan Marine police station demanding arrest of local MLA and Agriculture Minister Damodar Rout, the Executive Officer of Paradip Municipality and Assistant Engineer of Works Department for allowing illegal lifting of sand from Paradip sea coast.