The anti-Posco activists are jubilant after National Green Tribunal issued a notification to Union and State Governments and also the steel giant Posco on Tuesday to stop felling of trees at proposed steel plant site on environmental ground.
Despite the restriction, the administration felled hundreds of trees including three betel vines in Gobindapur village on Tuesday.
Sources said anti-Posco activists under the banner of Posco Pratirodha Sangram Samiti (PPSS) intensified their agitation in Patana village against land acquisition and felling of tress. Despite people’s resistance, district administration has already axed about 15,000 tress in Gobindapur village and dismantled about 350 betel vines in the process of land acquisition for the project.
The PPSS leaders questioned the trench digging and felling of trees by the administration as the environment clearance granted for the project by the Centre had been suspended by the National Green Tribunal last year.
Despite stiff resistance, the administration on Tuesday forcibly demolished the betel vine of one Manas Jena who was killed in bomb explosion on March 2. Jena’s family members have threatened to commit suicide and vowed to intensify stir against land acquisition.
Environmentalist Prafulla Samantray, who has been associated with anti-Posco movement, had sought the intervention of tribunal to stop the felling of trees in Gobindapur. Following Samantray’s complaint, the Green Tribunal has maintained status quo and issued the notification. Samantray has also threatened to file case against the errant officials who ignored the directions of the Green Tribunal.
Additional District Magistrate Paradip Surjit Das said, “They had not received any notification from the Green Tribunal to stop tree felling yet. On Tuesday, we dismantled three betel vines including two new ones. There is no question to stop dismantling of betel vines and trench cutting at Posco site after receiving notification from tribunal because restriction is being imposed to stop the cutting of trees on environmental ground,” Das clarified.
Meanwhile, secretary of United Action Committee, a pro-Posco outfit, Nirvay Samantray has expressed concern over the uncertainty of Posco project after the tribunal’s order. He said Posco’s fate suffered due to lack of coordination between Centre and the State Government.
The administration has already acquired 2,000 acres of land and acquisition of rest 700 acres will be completed and handed over to Posco soon. Earlier, State Government had handed over 1,700 acres to Posco.
