“MEET THE PEOPLE” PROGRAMME BY SPCB: VIEW OF THE RESIDENT CITIZENS OF KEONJHAR
BY
Wg. Cdr. Krian Sanakar Sahu (Retd)
Citizens Forum, Keonjhar.
On behalf of the members of the citizens Forum let me at the outset congratulate the SPCB for organizing such a conclave with wide participation from the industries including mining industry, district administration, NGOs, people from the biggest service sector, namely the transport sector, and us the people of kendujhar. All of us are without exception, ‘well wishers’ of our rich and beautiful district.
Before we seek solutions to our concerns let me list out few data available with Citizens Forum, obtained some times through RTI Act 2005, occasionally from media and also from common public knowledge.
(a) There are a total of 109 mines in our district, with leased area of over 33330 Ha, basically of ironore, Mn and chromite, in occupation of ML holders, under the categories of working, nonworking and renewal applied for
(b) There are a total of 16 Sponge iron producing units
(c) There are a total of 123 iron ore Crusher units located outside the ML area. A similar number exist within ML areas. The total exceeds 250.
(d) For the 5 year period ending March 07, the total iron ore raised and dispatched from Kendujhar district was 162 million tons, whose price would be approximately Rs. 35,000 to Rs. 37000 Crores ; at current prices.
(e) On the performance of the deptt of Forests and Environment.
(i) Forest Area within MLs under DDM Joda : 16260 Hact
(ii) Forest area Diverted (Kjr Forest Div) : 5648 Hact
Forest area Diverted (Kjr wild life Div) : 894 Hact
6542 Hact
(iii) Amt collected: : (KFD ) : 8. 3146 Crores
: (KWLD) : 7.72 Crores
16.03 Crores
(iv) Area Planted : KFD : 2691 Hact
: KWLD 322 Hact
3013 Hact
(V) Amt Spent :KFD : 1.8654 Crores (22% )
:KWLD : 0.2855 Crores (3.7% )
2.1509 Crores (13% )
(vi) Plant Survival : No one knows.
** These figures are very disbursing, when we read from press reports (Telegraph 02 Aug 07), that POSCO at paradeep is paying over 1500 crores for a little ore 3000 ha of forest area to be diverted for non forest use. When it is compared with 17000 ha of forest land with ML holders in our district, the state should have earned about Rs.8500 crores, which could more than solve our rural employment in plantation and infrastructure building, not only of our district, but also our neighbouring districts of Mayurbhanj and Debgarh. And LO and behold we have collected only Rs.16 crores
To most of us ordinary folks of keonjhar, environmental pollution is only the dust pollution emanating from thousands of trucks plying on dusty roads every where, from the fine coal deposits around sponge plants, and from the ore fines around the crusher units. We tend to over look the slow and gradual effects of continuous deforestation on our environment at the roof of our problems.
The Concerned citizens of our forum are disturbed by
- Sudden and appreciable climate change to our otherwise salubrious climate during last 3-4 years
- Deeper descent of ground water, in spite of record rain fall, resulting in drying up of wells by mid December, instead of mid January
- Substantial decrease of contribution of water to Baitarani from Keonjhar compared to that from Mayurbhanj (75 to 80% in dry season )
- Vanishing wild life due to breaking of the life cycles of many species and deeper effect on ecology in general.
- Silting of reservoirs, clogging of water points and deeper colour of our flood water, indicating serious erosion of top soil every where.
- Fines from crushers, widely spread over our rural interior, are adversely affecting our agricultural land, grazing grounds, causing increasing incidences diseases among surrounding villagers and domestic animals, besides plants and crops.
- Noise pollution level is substantially increased to a much larger area.
We are not scientists, but are people at the receiving end of the environmental
Pollution. Only a scientific and quasi judicial body can address the problem appropriately. This is the mandate given by our Parliament to our scientists and administrators in the Environment (Protection) Act 1986, and they must rise to the challenges. Now the whole world is concerned. UNEP, ICMM’s Sustainable Development Framework (SDF), Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), ISO-14000 for Mining industry, World Business Council (WBC) on standards of business in 21st Century, all show great environmental concern for our future generations.
Orissa is poised for investment of Rs.1,90,000 crores in steel sector in next few years and all that raw material needs will be mined, raised, crushed and transported from keonjhar district. It is time that we plan such a massive operation in harmony with nature and the society within. Unfortunately for us in Kendujhar, the minerals, the forests and the people with their paraphernalia, are co-located on the some place of land on mother earth, unlike in many other mineral rich countries in Africa, South America, or Australia. There is need for extra delicate care when the mineral resource are to be taken out from underneath. In this, the department of Forests and Environment has an onerous responsibility, in balancing the need of development and ecology, in enforcing the law of the land, and scientifically exercise control over the greed of the present generation. These are subjects so sensitive to the people of Kendujhar.
Insha Allah.
(Kiran S Sahu)
Wing Commander (Retd)
Member Environment
THE LETTER TO CM, ORISSA
BY
Wg. Cdr. Krian Sanakar Sahu (Retd)
Citizens Forum, Keonjhar.
On behalf of the members of the citizens Forum let me at the outset congratulate the SPCB for organizing such a conclave with wide participation from the industries including mining industry, district administration, NGOs, people from the biggest service sector, namely the transport sector, and us the people of kendujhar. All of us are without exception, ‘well wishers’ of our rich and beautiful district.
Before we seek solutions to our concerns let me list out few data available with Citizens Forum, obtained some times through RTI Act 2005, occasionally from media and also from common public knowledge.
(a) There are a total of 109 mines in our district, with leased area of over 33330 Ha, basically of ironore, Mn and chromite, in occupation of ML holders, under the categories of working, nonworking and renewal applied for
(b) There are a total of 16 Sponge iron producing units
(c) There are a total of 123 iron ore Crusher units located outside the ML area. A similar number exist within ML areas. The total exceeds 250.
(d) For the 5 year period ending March 07, the total iron ore raised and dispatched from Kendujhar district was 162 million tons, whose price would be approximately Rs. 35,000 to Rs. 37000 Crores ; at current prices.
(e) On the performance of the deptt of Forests and Environment.
(i) Forest Area within MLs under DDM Joda : 16260 Hact
(ii) Forest area Diverted (Kjr Forest Div) : 5648 Hact
Forest area Diverted (Kjr wild life Div) : 894 Hact
6542 Hact
(iii) Amt collected: : (KFD ) : 8. 3146 Crores
: (KWLD) : 7.72 Crores
16.03 Crores
(iv) Area Planted : KFD : 2691 Hact
: KWLD 322 Hact
3013 Hact
(V) Amt Spent :KFD : 1.8654 Crores (22% )
:KWLD : 0.2855 Crores (3.7% )
2.1509 Crores (13% )
(vi) Plant Survival : No one knows.
** These figures are very disbursing, when we read from press reports (Telegraph 02 Aug 07), that POSCO at paradeep is paying over 1500 crores for a little ore 3000 ha of forest area to be diverted for non forest use. When it is compared with 17000 ha of forest land with ML holders in our district, the state should have earned about Rs.8500 crores, which could more than solve our rural employment in plantation and infrastructure building, not only of our district, but also our neighbouring districts of Mayurbhanj and Debgarh. And LO and behold we have collected only Rs.16 crores
To most of us ordinary folks of keonjhar, environmental pollution is only the dust pollution emanating from thousands of trucks plying on dusty roads every where, from the fine coal deposits around sponge plants, and from the ore fines around the crusher units. We tend to over look the slow and gradual effects of continuous deforestation on our environment at the roof of our problems.
The Concerned citizens of our forum are disturbed by
- Sudden and appreciable climate change to our otherwise salubrious climate during last 3-4 years
- Deeper descent of ground water, in spite of record rain fall, resulting in drying up of wells by mid December, instead of mid January
- Substantial decrease of contribution of water to Baitarani from Keonjhar compared to that from Mayurbhanj (75 to 80% in dry season )
- Vanishing wild life due to breaking of the life cycles of many species and deeper effect on ecology in general.
- Silting of reservoirs, clogging of water points and deeper colour of our flood water, indicating serious erosion of top soil every where.
- Fines from crushers, widely spread over our rural interior, are adversely affecting our agricultural land, grazing grounds, causing increasing incidences diseases among surrounding villagers and domestic animals, besides plants and crops.
- Noise pollution level is substantially increased to a much larger area.
We are not scientists, but are people at the receiving end of the environmental
Pollution. Only a scientific and quasi judicial body can address the problem appropriately. This is the mandate given by our Parliament to our scientists and administrators in the Environment (Protection) Act 1986, and they must rise to the challenges. Now the whole world is concerned. UNEP, ICMM’s Sustainable Development Framework (SDF), Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), ISO-14000 for Mining industry, World Business Council (WBC) on standards of business in 21st Century, all show great environmental concern for our future generations.
Orissa is poised for investment of Rs.1,90,000 crores in steel sector in next few years and all that raw material needs will be mined, raised, crushed and transported from keonjhar district. It is time that we plan such a massive operation in harmony with nature and the society within. Unfortunately for us in Kendujhar, the minerals, the forests and the people with their paraphernalia, are co-located on the some place of land on mother earth, unlike in many other mineral rich countries in Africa, South America, or Australia. There is need for extra delicate care when the mineral resource are to be taken out from underneath. In this, the department of Forests and Environment has an onerous responsibility, in balancing the need of development and ecology, in enforcing the law of the land, and scientifically exercise control over the greed of the present generation. These are subjects so sensitive to the people of Kendujhar.
Insha Allah.
(Kiran S Sahu)
Wing Commander (Retd)
Member Environment
THE LETTER TO CM, ORISSA
Shri Naveen patnaik 14 Oct 07
Hon’ble Chief Minister and Minister of Forests and environment
Government of Orissa
Sachivalaya
Bhubaneswar 751001
‘MEET THE PEOPLE’ ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME AT KENDUJHARGARH
Sir,
Please allow us to enclose a briefing paper, which was presented on behalf of our Forum to the above programme arranged by ‘State Pollution Control Board’ at Kendujhargarh on 11 Oct, 07. The proceedings were conducted by the Member Secretary, and there were wide participation from industry (including mining industry), NGOs, related district officials (with notable exception of Forest officials), members of press, and a sizable cross section of concerned public. During the reading of the paper, there were many serious queries from the enlightened participants, mainly around the fast depleting forests and their adverse effects on our air water and soil, and of course, on life in all forms.
Our forum believes that the fast depleting famous hard wood forests of our district is at the root of most of our current cascading environmental problem. The exponential growths of mining industry and truck body building industry, either legal or otherwise, have accelerated the processes in recent years. Therefore, the non-participation of Forest officials in the deliberations was felt as a serious deficiency, albeit, requests had been made to the office of the principal secretary well in time. Similarly the non-constitution of the State level Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) in our state for ‘Environmental clearance’ indicates the degree of seriousness to a very ‘Humane ‘problem by our SPCB
\
Our Forum therefore, requests you to take appropriate action on all such important matters, recorded by SPCB as public opinion expressed in the ‘Meet the People’ programme. On our side, we will be too happy to disseminate the remedial actions initiated, to the Citizens of Kendujhar.
Yours Truly,
(Kiran S Sahu)
Wing Commander (Retd)
For President, on behalf of All members of Citizens’ Forum
No comments:
Post a Comment