Jajpur: The state government’s approval of a double slurry pipe line project of JSW Steel from Joda to Paradip via Jajpur would soon dry up the Baitarani, rendering the holy river to become history, according to a report.
This apart, farming in over 13,000 hectare of land in Dasarathapur and Binjharpur block would be affected due to lack of irrigation facility thanks to the project, it was learnt.
While Brahmani River Pellet Limited (BRPL) continues to carry iron slurry through pipelines, laying of slurry pipe line by Essar Steel is in progress. In such a scenario, permission to JSW Steel would only make the matter worse, locals said.
The government’s claim of not allowing the water meant for farming to industries sounds hollow with the industries department signing agreements to provide water to the industrial units, they added.
Significantly, the water to be used in the pipeline won’t return from JSW’s Paradip plant for reuse.
After Essar and BRPL, JSW has planned to loot water along with minerals from the district laying a 350 km long pipeline, locals further said.
It was alleged that acres of farmland and forest coverage would be destroyed in Keonjhar, Jajpur, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur districts with the laying of the pipelines as it would pass through 70 sq km reserved forest, 30 sqkm preserved forest and 20 sq km forest of other categories. The pipeline would cover Barbil, Rimuli, Keonjhar, Anandapur, Jajpur Road, Kalinganagar and Chandikhol area en route to Paradip.
According to reports, the JSW’s underground pipeline project would require more than 10,000 cubic metres of water a day to clean the iron ore which would be sent to the company’s Paradip plant by water pressure. While the multi-crore steel plant project will hardly have any local employment, the pipeline would pose a threat to the lives of people in case it gets punctured due to the pressure generated by the speeding slurry.
On the other hand, more than 50,000 truck owners would have gained had the iron ore been transported on road from Joda to Paradip, it was learnt.
Meanwhile, some experts opined that reuse of water in transportation of slurry would address the issue to some extent.
When contacted, the Orissa State Pollution Control Board regional officer Anup Kumar Mallik said JSW sought permission to transport iron ores through a pipe line and the government granted its proposal. The board would keep a vigil on the activities and the project won’t have any impact on the river, he added.
The state unit of JSW Limited would be known as JSW Utkal Steel Limited, said an order of the industries department. PNN