The state Forest and Environment Ministry has set a target to complete at least 68 per cent of compensatory afforestation work, earmarked in exchange of forest land diverted for Posco project, in the upcoming financial year.
The state has identified 1,287 ha land in Cuttack, Jajpur and Jagatsinghpur districts, which will be used for afforestation to compensate the 1,253 ha land diverted for Posco project , to be constructed near Paradip, in Jagatsinghpur district.
Out of 1,287 ha land identified, the state ministry aims to complete the work in 870 ha area in 2012-13, state minister for forest and environment Debi Prasad Miishra said in the state assembly while replying to a question of MLA Hitesh Bagarti.
The Union Ministry of Environment and Forest, after studying the reports submitted by an expert committee about the nature and amount of forest land, permitted the Korean steel maker to go ahead with its ambitious $12 billion investment in January last year, with almost four dozen riders.
For its 12 million tonne integrated steel plant, Posco needs around 1,620 ha land. So far, it has already acquired 809 ha or more than 2,000 acre after more than six years of signing memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the state government.
However, the company has hardly made any progress in its first phase construction due to stiff opposition from local villagers from Nuagaon and Dhinkia. Out of the 1,253 ha forest land diverted for the project, these two villages have 1,106 ha of protected forest area, state government data showed.
