Action plan ready for cyclone mitigation measures at Posco site

The measures will be implemented at a cost of Rs 44 cr

The Jagatsinghpur district administration is all set to implement cyclone mitigation measures (CMM) at the site of the Posco project for protection against natural disasters and saline inundation. These measures will be implemented at a cost of Rs 44 crore.

The mitigation measures have been approved by a committee formed under the chairmanship of S K Pattnaik, member of the central empowered and coordination committee (CEC), as per the direction of the Supreme Court.

"This CMM action plan has been approved by the S K Pattnaik committee and Rs 44 crore would be spent in three panchayats (Dhinkia, Nuagaon and Gadakujang) for construction of surge protection wall, cyclone shelters & godowns, roads, tsunami breakwaters and Early Warning Dissemination System (EWDS). Awareness will be spread among the people very soon by involving the local villagers," said Jagatsinghpur collector Satya Kumar Mallick.

It may be noted that while granting Stage-II forest clearance for the Posco steel project in 2010, the Union ministry of environment & forests (MoEF) had stressed on implementation of CMM measures.

Since the three panchayatas are vulnerable to cyclone and saline inundation, the S K Pattnaik committee had urged the Jagatsinghpur district administration and Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco) to prepare CMM action plan by taking technical inputs from the Rajnagar divisional forest officer. Officials sources said that Rs 27 crore would be spent on creation of surge protection embankment from Paradip to Noliashai that is likely to be extended to Astranga in Puri district.

In addition, four cyclone shelters cum godowns at Noliashai, Nuagaon, Gobindpur and Dhinkia would be built at a cost of Rs 85 lakh each, Rs 2.80 crore will be spent on strengthening the evacuation route from Balitutha to Gobindpur, Rs 1.80 crore for extension of road from Balitutha to Gobindpur, Rs 3.80 crore for evacuation route from Balitutha to Gadkujang road, Rs 2 crore for Balitutha to Nuagaon road and Rs 50 lakh for strengthening of the existing route from Nuagaon to Gobindpur for relief operations during disaster.

After the recent completion of land acquisition of 2,700 acres in Nuagaon and Gadakujang panchayats and also Gobindpur village under Dhinkia panchayat, the district administration has taken various steps to expedite CMM activities through involvement of local villagers.