SAMBALPUR: Environmental activist Prafulla Samantray on Wednesday alleged a fake resolution of gram sabha was used for coal mining at Talabira in the district. Samantray, who visited the area on the day, said the villagers had opposed mining and deforestation in the gram sabha, held in 2012. However, a fake resolution of July, 2012 was used for felling of trees and carrying out mining in the area, he said.
The coal mining will be carried out by NLC India Limited for its thermal power projects. The villagers have been protecting the forest since 1850. However, now trees are being felled to pave way for coal mining.
Samantray said NLC India Limited has appointed Adani Enterprises for mining in the area and apprehended the latter will take over the project within three to four years. He appealed the villagers to launch ‘Jungle Surakhya Satyagraha’ and the latter have agreed to his proposal. The villagers want the Government to talk to them and seek their opinion before carrying out mining and felling of trees in the area, he said.
Talabira II and III coal blocks are spread across 1,914.063 hectare in Sambalpur and Jharsuguda districts of which 1,038.187 hectare is forest land and 875.876 hectare non-forest land.Official sources said, 17,704 trees will be felled in Sambalpur and 1,10,110 in Jharsuguda district.
NLC India Limited will produce 20 million tonne of coal per annum from Talabira II and III coal blocks to fuel its 4,200 MW thermal power projects including 3,200 MW from NLC Talabira Thermal Power Project in Jharsuguda district and 1,000 MW from NLC Tamil Nadu Power Limited in Tuticorin district of Tamil Nadu.