JHARSUGUDA: Unease prevailed after a scuffle broke out between villagers and officials of a private firm during a public hearing on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of a waste treatment plant at Tinglismal under Lakhanpur block here on Friday.
Sources said the company, Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd, has proposed to set up an industrial waste treatment plant on 63.3 acre land in Lakhanpur at a cost of Rs 149 crore. But villagers were reportedly unhappy as the project would entail felling of more than one lakh trees. Besides, the industry will collect and store all the hazardous materials which will further cause pollution and also affect the Mahanadi river nearby.
During the meeting, villagers resorted to opposing the project. Sources said they shouted slogans against the district administration, company and pollution authorities. Some of them reportedly heckled the officials and fled soon after the incident.
Jharsuguda regional officer Hiranya Kumar Naik , ADM Prabeer Kumar Nayak, Lakhanpur Tahasildar, BDO along with other officials were present in the public hearing, among others. Earlier in August last year, a public hearing was scheduled but it had to be postponed due to local protest.
Lakhanpur IIC Dukhindra Sahu said a case was registered on the basis of complaint of the company’s vice-president Sanjib Kumar. Jharsuguda Collector Saroj Kumar Samal could not be contacted despite multiple attempts.