ROURKELA: Even as forest land diversion and land acquisition have emerged as major stumbling blocks in implementation of Bimlagarh-Talcher new rail line, the Forest and Environment department of Odisha has initiated efforts for Stage-II final clearance of 244.623 hectare forest land for the project.
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Earlier, acting on the second phase of forest land diversion for the project, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) on July 1 had issued in-principle approval order for Stage-1 clearance of 244.623 hectare with certain conditions.
In a subsequent development, the special secretary of the Forest and Environment department, on July 6, had shot off a letter to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) asking him to consider initiating efforts for Stage-II final clearance for which the East Coast Railway (ECoR) will be required to meet 20 additional conditions.
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Incidentally, the User Agency will have to meet all conditions prescribed for Stage -I and II forest clearances. The letter further said trees shall be felled where it is absolutely essential with prior permission from Divisional Forest Officers (DFOs) concerned and the user agency would be required to take up avenue plantation along the track and implement Site Specific Wildlife Plan.
Detailed compliance of all conditions imposed by MoEF&CC and the state government should be meticulously scrutinised by the Additional PCCF (Forest Diversion) and Nodal Officer and report submitted for considering final clearance order by MoEF&CC.
The letter also instructed the DFOs concerned to place demand for compensatory levies, adding that the DFOs of Rourkela, Bonai, Deogarh and Angul, in strict compliance with guidelines, may allow the user agency to take up project activities for a period of one year pending Stage-II forest clearance.
According to sources in ECoR, till July 17, of the total requirement of 2,088.77 hectare of private, government and forest land, only 466.795 hectare has been acquired.
Of a total of 1,002.61 hectare of private land, 704.15 hectare remains to be acquired, while of total 422.38 hectare of government land, 312.96 hectare remains to be alienated. Similarly, in case of forest land, a total of 663.78 hectare has been earmarked for diversion and only 59.31 hectare has been diverted.