NGT notice for alleged Illegal transfer of forest & tree cutting in Chhendipada

By Bijay Mishra 
Angul , 02-1-25

NGT(EZ) served notice to central Government , State Govt& SCCL on alleged illegal transfer of forest land in favour of Singareni Collieries Company Ltd. for the purpose of Naini Open Cast Project (Coal Mine) at Chhendipada  of Angul and tree cutting from the said forest . 

Nine villagers including Jharana Dehury of Chhendipada have filed Application in NGT , alleging illegal transfer of forest land in favour of Singareni Collieries Company Ltd without following the due process of Forest Conservation Act 1980.  SCCL has now started felling of trees in some parts of the forest for mining activities. 

It is alleged that in Chhendipada Reserve Forest around 1,05,092 number of trees are to be felled. In the letter of the Divisional Forest Officer, Angul , it is mentioned that the approval granted under Section (2) of the Forest Conservation Act 1980 is subject to the fulfilment of the conditions as mentioned in the Stage-I and Stage-II approval orders of Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of India.

It is stated that the conditions of Stage-I and Stage-II approval in the present case has not been fulfilled by the Project Proponent particularly Condition No. (B) 13 of Stage-II clearance dated 12.10.2022 which requires settlement of Forest Rights, written consent of Gram Sabha and full compliance of OM dated 03.08.2009 and  it is alleged that the land has been transferred to
the Respondent the Project Proponent, illegally for non forestry use ignoring non compliance of Condition . The Applicant could not find the copy of the Stage-I from the Parivesh Portal and the Stage-II approval dated 12.10.2022.

As alleged, no compliance has been done by the user Agency but the proposed forest land has been transferred in favour of the project  for non forestry use.

NGT observed that the matter requires consideration and Issued notice . 
   
Advocate Sankar Prasad Pani argued the case on behalf of Applicants in Virtual Mode. 

Recently under the leadership of Activist Sashmita Behera , thousands of affected people demonstrated opposing tree cutting from reserve forest for Naini Coal block in Chhendipada