A section of residents of Kendrapara district in Odisha have opposed a proposed petrochemical investment in the state’s coastal pockets over environmental concerns. Around 120 people turned up at a public hearing on August 30, 2022, at Mahakalapada in Kendrapara district and protested against the proposed Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemical Invest Region (PCPIR) project. They said it would affect the rivers, mangrove forests and their livelihood.
The Indian Oil Corporation has planned to set up a petrochemical complex at Paradip. Indian Oil Corporation Ltd is a central government-owned oil and gas explorer and producer. “Paddy and fish are our main sources of income. But the authorities have ulterior motives. The livelihoods of over 200,000 farmers will be affected by the project,” claimed Alaya Samantray, a local resident who was a part of the protest. Shrimp farming is a major source of income in the area. Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) organised a public hearing, which was attended by the locals, land owners, government officials, Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) officials and other stakeholders.
The PCPIR project is proposed in Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur districts, which are surrounded by mangrove forests. The survival of these forests depends upon the availability of freshwater and saltwater in suitable proportions. The project will cover 7,000 acres of land in 51 villages under the Mahakalapada block and 12 villages under the Marsaghai block in Kendrapara district.
It will be built at the cost of Rs 16,482 crores and will cover 26 villages under Earasama block and 61 villages under Kujang blocks in Jagatsinghpur district as well. The mangrove forests are not only the district’s lifeline but also the district’s guard walls during natural disasters like cyclones. Rare species of mangroves are also found in the region.
Any change in the water flow regime will affect mangrove forest adversely, according to the locals. The two districts already face the adverse effects of climate change through regular cyclones, heavy rains and high floods, said Kshitish Kumar Singh, an environmentalist. The total freshwater requirement for the proposed PCPIR would be 620 million litres per day (MLD), according to the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report. The Mahanadi river will be the source of it.