Villagers boycotted Public Hearing for Proposed Ramky Waste Treatment Plant for the third time.
Jharsuguda : Tension ran high at Bandipahad area in Lakhanpur Block during a Public hearing on the Environmental Impact Assessment of the proposed industrial waste treatment, storage, and disposal plant by Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd., after irate villagers didn’t allow the meeting to happen on Friday.
This was the third time the Public Hearing for the Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd. was not allowed to take place by the irate Villagers.
As reported, Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd. Company is going to set up an industrial waste treatment, storage, and disposal plant in Lakhanpur Block under Jharsuguda District. The company will be set up with an investment of Rs 149 crore. The plant will spread into a total of 63.30 Acres of land.
On Friday, the villagers of the affected 11 villages, (Junian, Bandipahad, Suldia, Lakhanpur, Pikol, Bhainsamunda, Mauliberna, Ailapara, Kudaloi, Baghmunda, Beheraguda) had boycotted the public hearing. In this regard, even police had made preventive arrests of 60 agitators.
Earlier, in the Month of August 2021, the villagers had opposed the first public hearing meeting held, and after that two public hearings were scheduled but got cancelled due to some reason. After that in the month of June 2022, also the public meeting was conducted again but a scuffle broke out between the protesters and the Ramky officials, Agitators also allegedly thrashed Ramky officials, after which the Ramky officials had to leave the site immediately, and fled away from the spot.
“This is the third time this public hearing is being conducted and the local villagers are boycotting it. All local public representatives irrespective of parties have united and opposed the public hearing. The company will set up an industrial waste plant on 63.30 Acres of land which is a dense Jungle, on which tribal people are dependent. Due to this more than 1 Lakhs of trees will also get cut down. The company will bring dangerous hazardous waste material from various industrial houses of Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Sundargarh, and Raigarh in Chhattisgarh at this place will pollute the environment. So, we completely boycott this public hearing.” Said Biranchi Sahu, a local villager.
“We waited till 4 pm and then later entered the ground forcefully, but the tents and other things were broken. However, we sat till 5 pm in the evening, but till then no one had come to give their opinion. Later Jharsuguda ADM Brajabandhu Bhoi called off the Public Hearing.” Said Jharsuguda Regional Officer, Odisha Pollution Control Board, Hiranya Kumar Nayak
