MINING AND INDUSTRIALISATION UPDATE, ORISSA - Vasundhara

Langjigarh, Vedanta group spokesman C.V.Krishnan told PTI. The same process wasbeing implemented in Kalahandi and wouldbe replicated in Jharsuguda. “As everyanganwadi has 40 children, the companywill be looking after the welfare, food andhealthcare requirements of more than 40,000children,” Krishnan said. The decision toadopt the anganwadis, he said, was taken onthe basis of the company’s experiment ofrunning 100 child welfare centres indifferent places of the country. As part ofthe arrangement, every pre-school childaged between three and six years would beprovided a hot cooked meal of 300 caloriesat noon, said another Vedanta official.Villagers to refuse part withtheir landsStatesman News ServiceJAGATSINGHPUR, July 4: Villagers ofMarichpur, Barmunduli, and Naharana ofBalikuda block have refused to provide landto the Indian Farmer’s FertilisersCooperative Ltd (IFFCO), Paradip forplanting trees. IFFCO representatives andrevenue officials who went to these villagesfor survey and land demarcation returnedrecently following protests by the villagers.The district administration had decided togive 70 acres of land to IFFCO atNadiakhia, Mankadkhia areas of these threepanchayats close to the mouth of the riverDevi for afforestation and protection againstingress of water. IFFCO has undertakenvarious development projects and districtauthorities proposed that IFFCO mightcreate a tree cover at the mouth of the riverin Balikuda block area. The company hadagreed to do so. Villagers protesting againstsuch work allege that the natural forestcover is being sold to companies, timbermafias and others engaged in illegal prawnfarming, and the administration is trying tosnatch away land from poor villagers.Earlier, the president of Anchlika UpkalBachao Samity Mr Pratap Sahoo had filed apublic interest litigation in High Court tocheck the illegal cutting of trees and soilerosion in coastal villages of Erasama andBalikuda. Marchipur has a rich culturalheritage and a port at the mouth of riverDevi named Harishpur. This area was thefirst in the eastern region where the Britishstarted their commercial activities. Sarpanchof Marichpur Mr Bhikari Biswal,Barmunduli sarpanch Mr Rabindra Senapatiand Naharana sarpanch Ms Jayanti Sahanisaid that the villagers are determined notpart with their lands.Recycled polythene: PCBexpresses inability toimplement court orderThe Hindu,10 July, 2008BHUBANESWAR: Expressing inability tocarry out High Court’s order banningmanufacture, import, storage and use ofrecycled polythene in the State, Orissa StatePollution Control Board (OSPCB) has saiddefaulters could not be taken to the taskunless there is a separate piece of legislationin this regard. According to an affidavit filedby Bhagabat Prasad Pattajoshi, OSPCB lawofficer with the High Court, the board hasrequested the State government to bring inlegislation on urgent basis, if necessary,through an ordinance in line with the courtorder. “As per the provision of RecycledPlastic Manufacture and Usage Rules, 1999,notified under Environment (Protection)Act, 1986, manufacture/use of recycledplastic carry bags are not prohibited entirelyand only thickness of 20 micron isprohibited. As a result there will be legalproblem in the existing statute and actionagainst the defaulters cannot be taken,” Mr.Pattajoshi said in the affidavit. On April 24,High Court directed OSPCB and industriesdepartment to ensure effectiveimplementation of the order banningrecycled polythene in the State. Taking atough stance, the High Court also ordered tosubmit compliance reports it separately justafter 15 days from the ban came into effect.“We are forced to encroach upon the7