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Bhubaneswar (Orissa) : Hundreds of sea side residents in Orissa’s Kendrapara district were on Saturday expressed their deepest anguish few minutes after the Union Environment and Forest Minister Jairam Ramesh rejected speculation about the construction of sea wall as a barrier before the meandering sea.
“We have shocked and anguish,” said a villager of Rajnagar block. Local BJD MLA Alek Jena also condemned the move and said the decision to not construct wall as very unfortunate.
The Ministry while attending a public hearing in New Delhi said, the Centre has announced to spend Rs 1,200 crore procured from World Bank to check coastal erosion and protect ecologically fragile zones in three State but rejected any move for construction of sea wall in Orissa.
The Environment Ministry says construction of sea wall is unlawful.
Under Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan with the help of World Bank, Rs 1,200 crore plan is being implemented for development of the coastline and its eco-fragile zones in West Bengal, Orissa and Gujarat besides checking sea erosion.
While Rs 227 crore would be spent on 480 km Orissa coast, Rs 200 crore in West Bengal and Rs 300 crore in Gujarat, Ramesh said.
Rs 120 crore would be utilised for demarcation of high tide and low tide line, he said.
Orissa government's move to construct new ports and signing of MoUs for the purpose also came in for criticism by the Minister who said no clearance had been given by the Centre for these.
On encroachment in the brackish water Chilka lake and elsewhere along Orissa coast, he said it was state government's responsibility to remove illegal structures.
Ramesh said Chilka, Gahirmatha and Bhitarkanika have been identified as eco-fragile areas along Orissa coast, while talks were on with Chilka Development Authority (CDA) for protection of the lake's eco-system.
