A Critical Conversation on Climate Change ... - Green Choices

offsets – the fossil economy’s new arena of conflict 259make it one of the largest energy CDM operations anywhere in theworld, generating many millions of tonnes of so-called carbon dioxide‘reductions’. Spread over 320 hectares, the plant has simply wipedout the once flourishing agricultural village of Patrapali, which it stillgives as its address.Concerned citizens and a voluntary organization have filed a caseagainst JSPL in the state High Court over a proposed expansion ofits existing facilities. City dwellers object to increasing air and waterpollution and ill health. Rural dwellers are angry at losing their lands.JSPL’s plans include a 20-billion-rupee expansion over three surroundingvillages which, with a population of close to 3000, are locatedon fringe of mixed deciduous, sal, bamboo, and teak forests.Agriculture is a major occupation, and villagers are also engaged inthe collection of non-timber forest produce. In 2005, villagers from22 communities submitted written resolutions that they did not wantto sell or donate their land to industry.For more than a decade, villagers from 18 communities have alsoopposed a dam JSPL wants to build on the Kurkut river to cater toits needs for water and power, managing to halt construction whenvarious village heads wrote to the Chief Minister. Having alreadylost 240 hectares of their revenue land to JSPL, farmers in Khairpurvillage in Raigarh are meanwhile refusing to surrender any more,and complain about musclemen and touts sent by JSPL to pressurethem to capitulate. They are also concerned about a new reservoirJSPL is constructing that would inundate their entire agricultural area(which is irrigated and yields two crops a year) and force them to migratein search of other work.Aren’t there ways of mediating between the factory and local villagers?A public hearing on the JSPL expansion – mandated by Indian law– was scheduled for 4 January 2005. But local people’s concerns andobjections could not be heard, because JSPL brought a large numberof supporters and the proceedings were disrupted. The meeting wasrescheduled for 18 January 2005 and then 29 January. An allianceof local civil society organizations pointed out that both postponementswere made without the statutory 30 days’ notice period, andthat the Hindi version of the report and executive summary had notbeen made available. In the event, no actual public hearing was conductedon 29 January, in spite of the fact that more than 10,000 peopleshowed up. Instead, people were asked to queue up to register theircomplaints and opposition without interacting with the public hearingpanel. The environmental impact assessment prepared for the expansiondoes not properly address the project’s impact on local forests