ROURKELA: The Sundargarh district administration forced residents of Taparia in Hemgir block to call off their economic blockade by imposing prohibitory orders in the area on Sunday.
As many as 100 agitators were arrested by police for participating in the blockade which led to disruption of coal transportation on the Bankibahal-Taparia road for the last 26 days.
Sundargarh Sub-Collector Abhimanyu Behera said complying with the order of Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC), the agitators were informed that plying of coal vehicles would be restricted on the road till April 5.
“The agitators welcomed the decision and immediately called off the agitation. However, they returned to the protest site later and resumed their stir. Ever since the blockade was announced on January 19, the demands of agitators kept on changing. The protestors were divided over resuming the stir and apprehending law and order situation, prohibitory order was imposed in the area from Sunday morning,” Behera informed.
The agitators want total ban on coal transport on the road which is used to ferry the mineral from Mahanadi Coalfields Limited’s mines to Raigarh in Chhattisgarh and different industries including thermal power stations.
A few days back, villagers with help of political parties had filed a petition with OHRC alleging pollution from the coal dust. Regular plying of coal-laden vehicles and the emanating dust is damaging village roads and crops. They said MCL was falsely claiming that it is using its own corridor for supplying coal to industries.
The rights panel, in its order on February 10, asked RDC (Northern Division), Sundargarh Collector, Member Secretary to Odisha State Pollution Control Board and MCL CMD to file reports on the matter at its next hearing on April 5.
The Sundargarh Collector was asked to ensure restriction on plying of coal-laden vehicles on the road till the next hearing and submit an action taken report. Administrative sources said a tender has been floated to repair the road at a cost of Rs 146 crore.