Telegraph India reported that a tidal surge into the denuded forest pockets in the proposed POSCO project area since Thursday night have caused concern among the local residents.

However, officials have advised the villagers not to panic. Kujang tehsildar Vasudev Pradhan said that “We have received reports of tidal waves’ ingress in some pockets of denuded forest areas. But there was no threat to the villages.”

Gadakujang panchayat samiti member Vasudev Behera said that “The forest used to check the tidal surge from the Jaradhari river mouth. As forest was denuded, tidal waves went untamed and strode into the denuded forest area. Though the village was not affected this time, things might become difficult in the coming days adding the inundated forest areas lie about 250 feet from Noliasahi village, home to about 1,500 people.”

Rasananda Rout of Noliasahi village said that “We have never seen tidal water entering into the forest areas earlier. The trees protected us from calamities such as storms and tidal waves. But with the forest gone, we have become vulnerable.”

Nirvaya Samantaray general secretary of United Action Committee a pro plant outfit said that “The state government has made a grave error in judgment by pulling down the forest. The government should have taken up afforestation along with the forest clearance.”

Officials said compensatory afforestation would be taken up along the 3,000 acre stretch on the periphery of the POSCO steel project. Besides, it has been made obligatory for the steel company to cover an equal area under regeneration of degraded forest program along the Mahanadi deltaic region.

(Sourced from www.telegraphindia.com)