Water use for the PCPIR will effect mangroves, Mahanadi river; Area already prone to disasters due to climate change, say environmentalists
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Mangrove forests in Odisha also guard districts like a wall during natural disasters like cyclones. Photo: Ashis Senapati A section of residents of Kendrapara district in Odisha have opposed a proposed petrochemical investment in the state’s coastal pockets over environmental concerns.
Around 120 people turned up at a public hearing on August 30, 2022, at Mahakalapada in Kendrapara district and protested against the proposed Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemical Invest Region (PCPIR) project. They said it would affect the rivers, mangrove forests and their livelihood.
The Indian Oil Corporation has planned to set up a petrochemical complex at Paradip. Indian Oil Corporation Ltd is a central government-owned oil and gas explorer and producer.
“Paddy and fish are our main sources of income. But the authorities have ulterior motives. The livelihoods of over 200,000 farmers will be affected by the project,” claimed Alaya Samantray, a local resident who was a part of the protest. Shrimp farming is a major source of income in the area.
Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) organised a public hearing, which was attended by the locals, land owners, government officials, Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) officials and other stakeholders.
Odisha State Pollution Control Board had organised a public hearing over acquiring land for the project August 30, 2022. Photo: Ashis Senapati
The PCPIR project is proposed in Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur districts, which are surrounded by mangrove forests. The survival of these forests depends upon the availability of freshwater and saltwater in suitable proportions.
The project will cover 7,000 acres of land in 51 villages under the Mahakalapada block and 12 villages under the Marsaghai block in Kendrapara district.
It will be built at the cost of Rs 16,482 crores and will cover 26 villages under Earasama block and 61 villages under Kujang blocks in Jagatsinghpur district as well.
The mangrove forests are not only the district’s lifeline but also the district’s guard walls during natural disasters like cyclones. Rare species of mangroves are also found in the region.
Any change in the water flow regime will affect mangrove forest adversely, according to the locals. The two districts already face the adverse effects of climate change through regular cyclones, heavy rains and high floods, said Kshitish Kumar Singh, an environmentalist.
The total freshwater requirement for the proposed PCPIR would be 620 million litres per day (MLD), according to the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report. The Mahanadi river will be the source of it.
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However, there is no concrete data in the report regarding the decrease in the down flow of water in the Mahanadi river to the Bay of Bengal, said Singh. “The effect on the flow of water in monsoon and non-monsoon period and the mangrove forest in the Mahanadi delta region is also not mentioned in the EIA assessment,” he said.
The report does not mention any effect on Bhitarkanika National Park or whether the freshwater supply would be impacted, the environmentalist added. Both Mahakalpada and Marshaghai blocks are saline areas. The adverse impact of extraction of water may increase the salinity in this region, but there is no data in the EIA report regarding this, he further said.
“Any effect on the life of saltwater crocodiles, Olive Ridley sea turtles, Hilsa fish and other aquatic organisms of this region is also not mentioned,” Singh claimed. “The principles of sustainable development are not only applicable to human society but also to the environment, which was ignored in the EIA report.”
These areas of concern need to be assessed by environmental experts as they affect the sustainability of the mangrove ecosystem and the Mahanadi river system, the environmentalist said.
“Many locals have been suffering health problems due to air and water pollution thanks to polluting plants and industrial units at Paradip. The emission released by the plants make the lives of locals miserable,” said Samantray. “The government has no right to take away our lands.”
Read more: How lack of coordination between Odisha and Chhattisgarh led to floods
PCPIR will also affect over 10,000 fishermen who depend on tidal rivers and creeks, said Narayan Haldar, the president of Odisha Masyajibi Forum.
The state government had organised a public hearing on Tuesday to get a nod from the people to acquire land for this project, said Durga Prasad Moharana, the additional district magistrate of Kendrapara.
The massive petrochemical project will generate four lakh direct and indirect jobs as it would also attract a huge number of small and medium-sized industries such as MSMEs, the ADM said.
“All youth, skilled or unskilled, would find equal opportunities in this project. We will acquire barren lands, grazing lands, fallow land, wasteland and government lands. An airport, a golf club, knowledge park and other infrastructure will be built under this project,” added Moharana.
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