Bhubaneswar: The Central government has given Stage-I approval to 716.496 hectares of forest land for six railway projects in Odisha, Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Pradip Kumar Amat told the state Assembly Tuesday.
Replying to a question of Soumya Ranjan Patnaik (BJD), the Minister said the Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry has recommended for change of Kisam of 2811.565 hectares
of forest land.
The Minister said stage-II clearance would be given after the conditions mentioned in the approval letter are fully implemented.
In addition to it, the agencies concerned are requested to submit the required documents and map for the change of kisam of 972.962 hectares of forest land required for 12 proposed railway projects.
Amat said the proposed Talcher-Bimalagarha (nearly 25 KM) Railway line has obtained the final approval of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate change February 16, 2016.
As per the conditions of the approval, the process for handing over the forest land will begin
after non-forest land is handed over to the Railway.
Divisional Forest Office, Angul has been requested to hand over 22.014 hectares of revenue forest land to Railway out of the 24.014 hectares of forest land that had already been handed over to the Railway.
The 153.90 km long Talcher- Bimlagarh Railway line has also received the final approval of the Environment, Forest and Climate change in June 2020.
Out of the 244.623 hectares of forest land required for the railway line projects, 186.257 hectares
of forest land have been handed over to Railway and Collector Anugul and Collector Sundargarh have been requested to hand over the rest 58.366 hectares of land to Railway, the Minister said.
UNI
