State begs for a month to reply Court notice on BRPL

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government, upon whom Court notice was served has prayed for another four weeks before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for filing up its reply on water allocation of the Baitarani river to Brahmani River Pellets Limited (BRPL) company, as informed by the legal representative on behalf of the petitioner against the BRPL at the NGT Bibhu Tripathy.

It may be noted that BRPL, a sister wing of the giant oversea company the Stemcor, plans to transport iron ore from Joda-Barbil mines belt to its Pellet plant at Kalinga Nagar through slurry pipes for which huge quantity of water is required for pushing the ore through pipe line. Farmers across more than five districts as Jajpur, Keonjhar, Bhadrak and Balasore were seen to stand on their heels when the State Government allocated water from the river Baitarani to BRPL.

Annoyed with the doubted Government callousness, convener of the ‘Baitarani Bachao Andolan’ and BJP’s State unit general secretary Murali Sharma had filed a petition at the NGT praying for stopping of the company’s activities. On November 20 this year, the NGT passed an interim stay order not to use the river water. Court also issued notices to the State and the Centre and begged for answer in this regard. But the BRPL seems to be adamant not to go by the NGT’s ruling as the company is busy cutting forests and laying slurry pipe lines for transporting of ore despite the interim stay order of the later.

It is learnt that the BRPL has filed a petition to vacate the stay order which is yet to be considered by the bench. Sources suggest that the forest clearance, obtained by the company has already been expired in last month. Yet the company is daring to cut forests in Koida area of Keonhar. Even, today, the BRPL workers were seen speeding up their activities. “It is a blatant contempt of Court’s directive,” said a local youth activist Deba Prasad Mishra.

“The multi-national company has made the law of our land a laughing stock. Justice AS Naidu had bestowed a ray of hope on farmers like us which is being dishonored by the foreign company. It is embarrassing,” lamented another farmer leader of Anandpur area.