Villagers Support JSW Steel’s Mines Expansion Plan At Public Hearing In Odisha’s Sundargarh

Sundargarh: The public hearing, conducted for environment clearance for capacity expansion of Narayanposhi iron and manganese ore mine of JSW Steel, passed off peacefully at Koira in Odisha’s Sundargarh district.

Around 2,000 villagers from Harischandrapur, Koira, Kashira and Kusumdihi under Koira Tehsil attended the public hearing and over 50 persons expressed their opinions in the presence of Odisha government officials. They unanimously supported the company proposal.

The villagers asked the company to give priority to employment generation, SHG group empowerment, healthcare facilities, road development and safe drinking water services. They also urged for school bus management and sowing machines’ distribution.

Addressing the local concerns, JSW Steel Mines Operation Head (Odisha) Biswaranjan Kumar Padhi said, “We have noted all the demands and will attempt to resolve them in a phased manner. Notable, the company has always been focusing on peripheral development. The JSW Foundation is actively engaged in executing the development plans. The foundation has already installed solar street lights and organised health camps to address health-related issues and it will continue to do that.”

Padhi also stated that the project would create direct and indirect employment opportunities for around 1000 local people.

JSW is planning to increase its iron ore production capacity with total excavation of 14.216 MTPA and manganese ore with total excavation of 0.259 MTPA. The company will also set up central processing unit (CPU) of 2000 TPH, 6 MTPA of grinding and beneficiation plant for mineral processing and slurry pumping station.

The new set-up will transport iron ore concentrate in mine lease area of 347.008 ha in Harischandrapur, Koira, Kashira, Kusumdihi and Kathamala villages.

The hearing was organised by the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB), Rourkela and Sundargarh district administration. Sundergarh ADM Shiv Shankar Toppo and Rourkela SPCB RO BB Dash were present. Bonei MLA Laxman Munda, former MLAs Janardhan Dehury and Bhimsen Choudhury and several PRI members were also present at the hearing.