Around 2,000 residents of five villages in Jajpur district locked the main gate of the Neelachal Steel plant at Kalinganagar on Wednesday demanding jobs and clean environment.
The villagers of Ranagundi,Olala, Trijanga, Khapuriapada, Kumbhiragadia alleged that it has been over one decade since the plant acquired about 3,000 acres of land in these areas from about 2,500 locals by paying a meagre amount of Rs 37,000 per acre.
The villagers said, “Our agricultural lands are destroyed because of fly ash dumped all around. We have no electricity or drinking water supply. Fly ash and dust emission from the plant settle everywhere and on everything and the river Ganda is being polluted by the plant,”
Kalinganagar ADM Bharat Behera said, “We have filed a case against Neelachal Steel on the charge of polluting the water bodies,”