Industrial units of Paradip under scan

Port units in line of fire

MANOJ KAR

Paradip, Sept 30: The Jagatsinghpur district administration has sought assistance of the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) finding out the impact of dredging activities by a public sector oil refinery project. Four industrial units in and around Paradip came under the line of fire for alleged violation of environmental norms at the Rehabilitation and Peripheral Development Advisory Committee (RPDAC) review meeting held yesterday. Members of the committee from gram panchayats, which come under the project areas, expressed anger at the erosion in villages caused by dredging. They passed a proposal for assessment of the impact of dredging works. The RPDAC resolved to constitute a task force to oversee proper implementation of peripheral activities by the units — Essar steel project, IFFCO fertiliser plant, Deepak Fertilizer and Indian Oil Corporation’s oil refinery project. “Dredging by the oil refinery near Paradip has led to erosion in seaside villages. Moreover, the artificially created brackish water pond by the refinery project has resulted in increased salinity level of ground water and iron contents in drinking water from deep-dug tube wells,” Jagatsinghpur MP Bibhu Prasad Tarai said. “It was decided to seek the services of the NIO to ascertain whether the Indian Oil Company Limited’s oil refinery was responsible for erosion,” said Jagatsinghpur collector Narayan Chandra Jena. Agriculture minister Damodar Rout, Jagatsinghpur MLA Bishnu Charan Das, Erasama-Balikuda MLA Prasanta Muduli, representatives of zilla parishad and members of panchayati raj institutions attended the meeting chaired by revenue divisional commissioner (central) Pradipta Mohapatra. (Sourced from Telegraph)

protestors dug up all roads leading to the area, preventing police entry.

About 200 people were injured during police operation,says Abhay Sahoo PPSS president.

 Paradip(17.05) : During the police operation at Balitutha on 15th may, about 200  people were injured as the police fired rubber bullets, used batons and  tear gas shells to disperse the crowd.most of them are elderly men and women.they are being treated by  some village youth with little knowledge of treatment, as they are scared to go out fearing arrest by police.people fear that police would arrest them finding injury on their bodies,Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti  president Abhay Sahoo said.
                    While few  shopkeepers of Balitutha injured in police action, underwent treatment at balitutha and kujang hospital, none of the  villager went to any hospital.As armed police men guarding the entry point to there villages near Balitutha and trilochanpur round-the-clock, several persons injured in the clash with police on Saturday chose to treat under the guidance of nonprofessionals  instead of going to hospitals.

police crossed laxmanrekha ,set fired anti posco dharana camp at balitutha

Paradip:(report by D.P.Pattanaik)More than 50 people, including few policemen, were injured in a clash on Saturday as violence flared between police and anti posco protester near Kujang(Balitutha bridge).Earlier,on Friday night police arrested Jagatsinghpur MP Mr Bibhu prasad Tarai as preventive measure from Dhinkia as he was there to give moral support to the protester.Police also arrested former Balikuda MLA Mr Umesh Swain,while he was trying to enter Balitutha dharana spot today during police action against the protesters.hundreds of CPI activists have demonstrated at Paradip,paradipgarh, Kujang and Erasama police stations and blocked the road at Kujang paralyzing traffic on Cuttack-Paradip state Highway. Congress leaders Mr p.k.jena,Mr R.C.Samantray along with former legislator of Erasama Mr Bijay Nayak have also gheraoed paradip police station and condemned undemocratic action taken by police.

Police opened the rubber bullet firing and fired tear gas to disperse the protester from Balitutha Bridge, entry point to proposed Posco site, which was captured by Posco Pratirodh Samiti activists since 26th January. after warning to evacuate police waited five hour,and started firing tear gas. anti Posco activists pelted stone and hurled bomb to police personnel in which few police officials have injured and more than 50 activists including women have injured by rubber bullet and lathi charged by police. Police personnel have set fire on their camp at Balitutha Bridge in which ten houses and shops have been gutted. Three gas cylinders have exploded due to fire mishap destroying the property over two lakhs. Meanwhile, police has captured the Bailtuha Bridge which was the clutches of PPS activists since five months.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFqCNpy8AkU