Mahanadi

Collector assures Inquiry into crop damage

Indian Express 25th July 2011

Sambalpur: Enraged farmers met Sambapur Collector Mrinalini Darswal here on Monday demanding adequate compensation for paddy crop damaged due to emission from the smelter plant of Hindalco at Hirakud. They were led by Sambapur Zilla Krushak Surakhya Sanghatan (SZKSS) president Murari Prasad Purohit.

Darswal assured the farmers to visit damaged farms and take up the issue with Hindalco management. On 23rd July farmers from Nua Jamda, dengimocha and Mohmadpur villages in the vicinity of the smelter plant of Hindalco found their paddy sapling damaged due to release of Suspended particulate matter (SPM) from the plant. Paddy sapling in over 25 acres of land across in three villages were destroyed while standing crop on about 15 acres in Nua Jamda village were damaged.
Later the villagers informed the deputy director of agriculture Ashok Mohanty who dispatched a team of scientists to the spot. The team confirmed damage to the crops.