Six mega projects hit by forest land conversion delay

Jajpur: Delay in acquisition of forest land has hit six important projects in the state, sources said Monday. Some of these projects have failed to take off, while others have been stalled mid-way. This has happened due to the delay in conversion of forest land into nonforest plots.

Among the projects are Khurda Road-Bolangir rail route, the double-laning of the Sambalpur-Talcher railway tracks, Anandpur barrage, operations of Utkal Coal mines, construction of a cement plant by Dalmia Bharat Group in Malkangiri district and a bauxite mining project at Pottangi in Koraput district. Expressing concerns over the delay, Special Secretary of Environment, Forest and Climate Change department, Deben Kumar Pradhan has asked through a letter dated November 7, 2022, the principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF), head of forest force (HOFF) and principal chief conservator of forests (Wildlife) and chief wildlife warden (CWW) to file the latest status report on forest land acquisition for the projects. A report said that the Khurda Road-Bolangir rail route project was sanctioned in 1994-95.

Since then, 27 years have passed but the project is yet to see the light of day. Currently, the project is mired in forest land acquisition dispute in three phases. The Forest department was given a proposal to convert its land into non-forest plots June 15, 2010.

However, till now permission has not been granted. The project is scheduled for completion by December 31, 2025. However, no one knows when the project will finally be commissioned.

According to a report of the Forest department, permission for forest land acquisition spread over 180km in Boudh district has not been granted. Moreover, conversion of 180-230km of forest land is awaiting stage-2 clearance. The total area in question is over 315.

54 hectares of forest land. In Nayagarh district, 292. 28 hectares of forest land spread over 143km is awaiting clearance from the Wildlife department.

The proposal has been submitted with Boudh and Nayagarh divisional forest officers (DFOs), February 19, 2020. Similarly, 23. 2 hectares of forest land conversion for SambalpurTalcher rail route expansion is in stage-1 and awaiting clearance.

Conversion of 79. 793 hectares of forest land for Anandapur barrage project in Keonjhar district has failed to make any progress. The project is scheduled for completion by March 31, 2024.

The work for the barrage project was taken up on the Baitarani river in 2005- 06 for which funds worth Rs 2,864. 36 crore were sanctioned by both the Centre and the Odisha government. However, the authorities have spent only Rs 1,715.

93 so far on the project so far. The headwork of the project has been completed while 73 per cent of the main canal and only five per cent of the distribution system have been done. The project when completed will help in irrigating over 56,720 hectares of land and help in control of floods in many parts of Jajpur district.

In the case of Utkal Coal Mines in Angul district, conversion of 13 hectares of forest land is in stage1 and 156. 18 hectares in stage-2 and awaiting clearances. Similarly, Dalmia Cements awaits clearance of 462.

25 hectares of forest land in Malkangiri district. The clearance of 697. 979 hectares of forest land for the Pottangi Bauxite Mines in Koraput district is in stage-1.

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