Defunct machines, heat affect Posco work

PARADIP: Sweltering heat and defunct cutting machines affected felling of trees in Nuagaon area in the last two days with only 1,200 trees being chopped on Tuesday.If this is not enough, the villagers of Nuagaon and Gadakujang panchayats have again threatened to stall work from Wednesday over their demands. Environmental concern is being cited as the other reason.Sources said over 80 lakh trees, including casuarinas, jackfruit, cashewnut and mango, which act as a protective cover during natural disasters, will be felled to facilitate the Posco project. The district administration has already axed a lakh trees in Nuagaon and Gadakujang panchayats with the cooperation of the villagers.The Forest Department report said more than 2,90,000 casuarina trees would be felled in Dhinkia, Nuagaon and Gadakujang panchayats.A PIL was also filed in the Orissa High Court on Tuesday seeking a halt to cutting of trees at the project site.The administration, however, has gone ahead with felling of trees despite protests from various quarters. To expedite the process, officials are working even on Sundays. “While staff shortage has hit felling of fruit-bearing trees for the last two days, we have now decided to stall the work with uncertainty looming large over the renewal of MoU with Posco,” said Gadakujang Sarpanch Nakula Sahu. The transfer of the RDC has given rise to doubts over fulfillment of their demands, he added. Admitting to the frequent jamming of cutting machines, Special Land Acquisition Officer Nrusingh Swain said that work would begin from Wednesday.