Greenpeace tampered Dhamara estuary study report-Scholar

Bhubaneswar, July 2: The Greenpeace India has come under severe criticism for allegedly tampering a research findings on the environment impact of Dhamara Port in Orissa coast.

North Orissa University Vice-Chancellor Sudarshan Nanda told newsmen here that the University had prepared a report under titled ''Rapid Bio Diversity Assessment of Dhamra Estuary'' and submitted to the Greenpeace India, the funding agency.

The research, he said, was conducted by Zoology Professor S K Dutta on a pure academic and educational point of view without any conclusion or recommendation.

But the Greenpeace India, he said, had not only tampered the title of the research project but also distorted the contents of the findings which were posted in its web site.

To prove his allegation,the Vice-Chancellor released both the original copy of the University research work and the text released in the Greenpeace website and gave a detailed lists of the discrepancies of the findings.

Dr. Dutta who was also present at the news conference, claimed that he had submitted an interim report to the Greenpeace listing only the species found in the Dhamara estuary without any impact study. He also made it clear that neither he has made any suggestion nor derived any conclusion on the environment impact of the Dhamara port.

When asked what action the North Orissa University proposed to take against the Greenpeace for doctoring the report, the Vice Chancellor said the University was examining the matter adding that suitable action would be initiated against the Greenpeace after receiving its response on the discrepancies of the report. State government has also taken great exception to the role of the Greenpeace in changing the title of the project and the contents while adding two chapters such as impacts of port construction and recommendation which were not part of the project.

State Commerce and Transport Secretary Priyabatta Pattnaik told newsmen here that the Greenpeace had changed the contents of the report to launch a motivated campaign against the Dhamara Port which has already got environment clearance from the centre.

Mr. Pattnaik said he was taken aback the way the report of Dr.

Dutta was tampered to suit the objective of the Greenpeace.

State Higher Education Secretary A K Tripathy who was also present at the news conference, said he had asked the University authority to comply with both the reports and seek a clarification from the Greenpeace. If necessary, he hinted that a criminal case could be initiated against the organisation for tampering the findings.

When contacted Greenpeace Ocean Campaigner Ashish Fernandes said the organisation had not fabricated the report.He said the Greenpeace had commissioned Prof Dutta to do a study and the recommendations in the report was of the view point of the oraganisation on the basis of the findings of the research.

UNI