PARADIP: Discontentment is brewing among a large section of the people in the district against the decision of the government for establishment of the proposed 2×7 MTPA Greenfield Iron Ore Pellet Plant at Paradip. At a public hearing held on Wednesday to garner public support for the plant, fishermen community besides NGOs, environmentalists and farmers strongly protested the move raising various concerns.
The meeting was organised by the district administration along with the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) to obtain support and environmental clearance for the plant to be set up by Essar Minmet Ltd at an estimated cost of Rs 3,583 crore on 40.49 hectare of land. It was attended by ADM, Paradip Kanhu Charan Dhir and regional officer of OSPCB Dillip Kumar Dash.
Earlier, protesting the move, agitators had stopped the erection of pillars on around 300 acre of Kaudia river near Sandhakuda, Udyabat and Mushadiha at Atharbanki for construction of the second exit road-cum-flyover for additional road connectivity to the national highway.
They alleged that this would result in increase of water level causing submergence of areas in Kujang, Paradip and Erasama and adversely affect the livelihood of fishermen. “As their livelihood is at stake, the fishermen community had submitted their demands to the administration which have been ignored,” said Harekrushna Majhi, convenor of Saharadiha Pentha Maschyadiha Surakhya Samiti and members of other similar bodies.
Alongside, paddy crops, the locals fear, would also face the brunt due to water logging besides giving rise to air and water pollution. “Besides no move to fulfil promises of providing employment to the youths of the area has also irked locals. The administration has ignored the plight of people in Kujang and conducted the meeting in Paradip. As a result many affected people from Kujang were not able to attend the meeting,” said Pitamber Tarai, convenor of Adivasi Samajika Anusthan.