Chhatrapur: The Sana Aryapalli Village Committee has approached the Ganjam district administration, demanding immediate implementation of the displacement policy by India Rare Earths Ltd. (IREL), construction of houses at designated rehabilitation sites and a permanent solution to coastal erosion.
The committee Monday said the decisions taken during the RPDAC meeting held at the RDC office in Brahmapur in 2018 have not been implemented. It alleged that the village faces the risk of being submerged by the sea while IREL has failed to fulfil its commitments.
Committee members submitted a memorandum to Additional District Magistrate Devadatta Panda and Chhatrapur Sub-Collector Sibasish Baral during the district-level grievance hearing at the DRDA complex.
The committee urged the administration to implement all resolutions passed in 2018.
It also alleged negligence by Gopalpur Port and IREL, accusing the agencies of carrying out sand mining for nearly eight to nine years while giving false assurances to implement the displacement policy.
Meanwhile, the Irrigation department has submitted a draft detailed project report (DPR) for the proposed Aryapalli coastal erosion mitigation project.
The report was prepared based on inspections conducted by the Chennai-based National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) from Ramayapatna beach in Chikiti block to Aryapalli beach on the outskirts of Chhatrapur Municipality, following earlier directions from Ganjam District Collector V Keerthi Vasan.
According to sources, the final DPR is expected to be submitted August 10, and the tender process for the project is likely to begin within two to three months.
The committee warned that villagers would stage an agitation outside the main gates of IREL and Gopalpur Port if their demands are not met within seven days.
The delegation was led by committee President B. Seema and included Ganjam district fishermen leader and General Secretary B. Bhimsen, the vice president, former general secretary and other community leaders.
