ROURKELA: The National Institute of Technology-Rourkela (NIT-R) has submitted a proposal to clear 1,872 trees from a site where it proposes to build the civil engineering department of the institution.
Reliable sources in the NIT-R informed that the institute has immediate proposal for construction of the department building on a total plinth area of 28,000 square metre. The first phase construction would be taken up over 16,000 sq metre at an estimated cost of `91 crore from the available corpus of the institute.
Sources said as per the growing infrastructure need of the institute, an unattended area of 8 acre near the main academic building has been earmarked for the new project. The land parcel has 1,872 trees of all sizes including young trees with very slender trunks along with matured trees.
Following due procedure, a proposal was sent to the divisional forest officer (DFO) of Rourkela a few months ago for approval. Construction activity would start only after receiving due permission from the Forest department, the sources added.
Meanwhile, an RTI and environmental activist submitted a complaint to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) stating that the proposed site forms part of a dense green cover serving as an ecological buffer zone and habitat for local flora and fauna and around 2,000 trees would be felled.
Complainant Alaya Samantaray mentioned that an alternate site of 5 acre with minimal tree cover on the campus is available. It is the same site where foundation was earlier laid for the civil engineering department and could be considered to avoid large-scale tree felling.
According to reports, the MoEF&CC urged the additional chief secretary of the Forest, Environment and Climate Change department of the state to take immediate action in accordance with applicable rules and regulations and sought for a detailed examination of the issue.
Rourkela DFO Jaswant Sethi said his office received a proposal from the NIT-R seeking permission for felling of ‘certain number’ of trees. For development purposes, trees grown on vacant space of the NIT-R for afforestation or beautification could be felled only following due procedure, he added.
Sethi, however, said he is yet receive any letter of the MoEF&CC and added that reply as per the factual position would be submitted at the appropriate time.