Paradip, Aug. 12: The National Human Rights Commission has sought a report from the Jagatsinghpur district administration on forest clearance in the proposed Posco project areas.

Local residents had petitioned to the rights panel alleging the sheer absence of a compensatory forest plan. With tree covers wiped out, the seaside villages are exposed to tidal surges and cyclones that endanger the safety of the villagers, the petition stated.

The forest clearance exercise, which is a part of the land acquisition drive for the mega steel project has triggered adverse environmental effects in the thickly populated Gagakujang andNuagaon gram panchayats, which were earmarked for the project site.

Ironically, the South Korean steel maker has suspended the mega steel project though it has not been officially scrapped as yet.

"With the forest cover almost wiped out along the strategic Jatadhari river mouth, the ingress of tidal waters surge into the denuded forest areas and this has become a routine feature. The standing trees were earlier acting as a natural buffer in plugging the inflow of tidal waters into village areas," said Basudeb Behera, a resident of Noliasahi.

The loss of green cover following the forest clearance exercise has put the settlers in the project villages jittery. Constant fear of natural calamities haunts them since the area has a history of cyclones and tidal surges.

Narahari Sethy, a special land acquisition officer said: "The administration has initiated measures to make up the loss of green cover in the project areas. Over two lakh seedlings have been planted in a stretch of land measuring 67 hectares adjoining the mega steel project site."

"In accordance with the ministry of environment and forest guidelines, the programme has got under way to compensate the loss of green cover within the proposed steel project areas," said another official.

Steps are also being undertaken to regenerate mangroves along the deltaic region that is stone's throw from the proposed steel plant.

"The compensatory afforestation projects for the loss of forest cover in the project areas has been successfully launched. Already 67 hectares of revenue land in Nadiakhia near Kujang is under plantation. An estimated 170 hectares has been earmarked for developing a mangrove. The spot is ideal for mangrove regeneration because it is a marshy land marked by the ingress of tidal waters", said Bimal Prasanna Acharya, the divisional forest officer of Rajnagar mangrove (wildlife) forest division.

A drive is also under way for the regeneration of green cover along the Mahanadi deltaic region, according to a forest official.