4,277-acre forest land diverted for industries in six years

The Orissa government has diverted as many as 1731 hectares (4277.39 acres) of forest land in the past six years in favour of nine major industries in the state.

Out of this 119.84 hectares (296.13 acres) of forest land in Angul district has been diverted to set up project of Jindal Steel & Power Ltd (JSPL). Similarly, 1253.22 hectares (3096.77 acres) has been diverted for Posco India's mega steel plant proposed in Jagatsinghpur district. However, the diverted forest land is yet to be handed over to the steel major.

The state government has also diverted forest land for Bhushan Steel Ltd at Lapanga (59.16 hectares), aluminium smelter and captive power plant of Aditya Aluminium -Sambalpur (119.84 hectares), Bhushan Steel & Strips Ltd in Angul and Dhenkanal districts (61.48 hectares), Shyam DRI Power Ltd at Pandoli in Sambalpur district (38.39 hectares) and Adhunik Metaliks-Rourkela (24.34 hectares).

These figures are as per the information provided by the state Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in a written reply in the state assembly.

This apart, the diversion of 1159.4 hectares (2864.93 acres) of forest land for 22 industries is on the pipeline.

The proposals include use of 519.19 hectares of forest land at Patana tehsil in Keonjhar district for the setting up of a 12 million tonne per annum green field steel plant by ArcelorMittal India Ltd and 74.52 hectares of forest land at Athagarh in Cuttack district for KVK Nilachal Power Ltd.

Other industries for whom forest land diversion proposals are on the pipeline are Bhushan Energy Ltd (116.75 hectares) at Banarapar tehsil in Angul district, integrated steel plant of Patnaik Steel & Alloys Ltd (37.25 hectares) at Keonjhar, 88.4 hectares for construction of an auto component complex at Tangi in Cuttack district by Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation of Orissa Ltd (Idco) and Tata Steel Ltd (39.72 hectares) for the establishment of a ferro chrome plant and installation of a 60 MW captive power plant at Bamanipal in Keonjhar district to name a few.