JAGATSINGHPUR: The scheduled public hearing for environmental clearance of JSW Utkal Steel Ltd’s proposed steel plant went peacefully in Gadakujanga panchayat on Friday amid presence of over 2500 villagers.
The hearing was jointly conducted by Odisha State Pollution Board (OSPCB) and district administration with respect to environment impact assessment of the proposed projects which include an integrated 13.2 MTPA steel plant, 900 MW captive power plant and 10 MTPA cement plant in Paradip. The integrated project, estimated at Rs 71,000 crore, was mooted after withdrawal of South Korean steel firm POSCO.
Collector Sangram Keshari Mohapatra said the hearing was peaceful and majority of villagers gave their consent in favour of the project.
Vice-president of JSW Rashmi Ranjan Patra, representing the company in the hearing, said the proposed steel plant will create 12,000 direct and 25,000 indirect jobs. “The company has committed to community development of the area. Five lakh trees will be planted to ensure that over 33 per cent of the complex is green,” he said adding that clean and green technology will be adopted for the plant operations to ensure its ecological sustainability.
“State-of-the-art technology will be used for controlling air and water pollution. The company has decided to invest Rs 7 crore in pollution control and environment protection and Rs 10 crore in corporate social responsibility. Advanced air pollution control systems like electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) and bag filters will be installed to arrest dust particles at source itself. Chimney emissions from all the plants will be well within prescribed emissions,” Patra explained.
Villagers of Dhinkia, Nuagaon and Gadakujanga complained about the harassment faced by them at the hands of the State Government and POSCO company during land acquisition for the latter’s steel plant project.
They alleged that both State Government and POSCO officials gave pompous assurances which turned out to be false. They were deprived of compensation and other benefits.
The villagers demanded a tripartite agreement between JSW, the State Government and villagers in the presence of a retired judge, before the project takes off.
Regional Officer, OSPCB Ramesh Chandra Ekka , advisor of JSW Satya Kumar Mallick and other officials were present at the hearing.