Hearing on SWM project held

The public hearing on environmental clearance of a comprehensive solid waste management project for Berhampur city was held on Thursday amidst protests by villagers of Mohuda.

The project, first of its kind, proposed for any city in Odisha, is to be established near Mohuda village on the outskirts of Berhampur. The hearing was conducted by the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) and district administration on the premises of Mohuda Bhairavi High School.

At the start of the hearing, a group of villagers of Mohuda led by their sarpanch Sadhana Mohanty opposed the project on the ground that it would result in pollution in their area and affect their livelihood, which was based on agriculture and animal husbandry.

The Additional District Magistrate (ADM), Berhampur sub-collector, commissioner of the Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC) as well as the regional director of SPCB, P.K.Mohapatra and Berhampur MLA Ramesh Chandra Chyau Patnaik made efforts to pacify the protesters.

Despite unruly scenes in the beginning, the hearing was concluded and the opinions of locals for and against the project were collected.

Mr. Chyau Patnaik said the opposition was due to the ignorance of locals about the project. “We will make all efforts to make people of Mohuda understand that precautions have been taken so that this project does not pollute air, water, ground and groundwater of the area,” the MLA said.

The much-awaited solid waste management project for Berhampur would be taken up on PPP mode.

The project would come up on 31.62 acres of land at distance of 10 km from Berhampur.

Content Courtesy: The Hindu