As many as 1,200 trees are now awaiting to be chopped in the Rowghat mining area in the insurgency infested district.
This is apart from 80 additional trees to be chopped in the 5 km area for the proposed laying of Railway track in the Rowghat region. The permission for felling of trees had already been granted by the Forest Department, informed officials in a meeting chaired by District Collector Alarmel Mangai D to review the pace of work for the Rowghat project here.
The meeting also discussed in detail the need for chopping 3,047 trees in the proposed 59 kms rail route between Todoki and Rowghat in the district. Similarly, discussions were held on setting up of a base camp in the hilly tract with facilities to draw groundwater, installation of solar energy equipment and construction of a road in the mining region.
The officials also sought information from the Commanding Officer of the Border Security Force (BSF) attending the meeting regarding security arrangements made in the sensitive pockets of the region where the project work is underway. Incidentally, the Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP)— the highest profit making unit of Steel Authority of India limited (SAIl) has been working towards improving the lives of people in Rowghat region of Kanker district.
Notably, iron ore mines in Rowghat have been allocated for BSP and the development works being carried out here is the part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative in the region. All the 22 villages falling under the Rowghat region are tribal dominated. Here, BSP is carrying out developmental works in the field of education, health, sports and culture. large numbers of tribal people are taking benefits of these works, officials stated.