Green Kalahandi to intensify stir against Vedant Alumina

Bhubaneswar, Sep 25 (UNI) Green Kalahandi, an organisation opposing the Vedanta Alumina Refinery Plant at Lanjigarh in Kalahandi, today announced to intensify its stir from October 2.

Talking to mediapersons here, Green Kalahandi Chairman Bhakta Charan Das said people from every nook and cranny of Kalahandi would take a pledge on October 2 to protect the environment from the Vedanta project.

He said 'Green Kalahandi' activists would move from village to village in Lanjigarh making the people aware of the threat posed by the project to water sources and forest in Kalahandi.

Kalahandi which had recently emerged as the 'Greenery of Orissa' making people self reliance in agriculture sector would witness the disaster if the Niyamgiri hill was allowed to be exploited by the Vedant for exploring bauxite.

He further said Kalahandi's agricultural economy would be severely affected if the project starts.

Lot of experts, academicians, wildlife experts and the common people have been opposing the project since long.

Green Kalahandi chairman Mr Das said '' We will observe a two minute silence and resort to slogan shouting against the project for five minutes on October second.'' He said units of the organisation would be set up in each Panchayat in Lanjigarh to spearhead the agitation. Mr Das who was also a former Union Minister said the recent Gram sabha meeting held at Lanjigarh on May 16 had resolved not to allow the Vedant to explore even a single tonne of Bauxite from the Niyamgiri hill.

''We will also not allow Vedant to import Bauxite from outside and run the plant here, '' he said adding that under no circumstances, the company would be allowed to go for commercial production in the area destroying its agricultural produce.

Eminent Sociologist T K Omen who was also present at the news conference questioned the legal sanction of the project on a schedule area without the approval of the competent authority.

'' The way the state government has been showing its keen interest ignoring the cons of the project clearly indicates their vested interests,'' he added.

UNI