Paradip, May 29: The Jagatsinghpur district administration today suspended felling of trees within the proposed Posco steel project site following a National Green Tribunal ruling.

However, the authorities continued with the land acquisition process by dismantling betel vineyards within Gobindpur forest area. The tribunal had halted the felling of trees to acquire land for Posco’s steel plant in Odisha, billed as India’s biggest foreign direct investment.

“No trees were felled today at the project site. The exercise will remain suspended in view of the tribunal order. The government will appeal against the tribunal’s order,” said Jagatsinghpur district collector Satya Kumar Mallick.

“The administration feels we have not done anything wrong by cutting the trees down. The ministry of environment and forest had accorded stage-2 clearance for deforestation in the earmarked area,” Mallick said.

Twelve betel vineyards were pulled down today and about 150-metre trench excavated. The process took place without protests.

The Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samity, an anti-Posco outfit, described the tribunal ruling as timely action. “Rules have been violated by the government for acquiring land for the Posco project. The tribunal had earlier suspended the forest clearance. However, the government did not take note of it,” said samity spokesperson Prasant Paikray.

More than two lakh trees have already been felled in the forest areas of Gadakujang, Noiliasahi, Bayanalakanda, Noliasahi Bhuyanpala and Nuagaon villages, which fall in the project site. About 80,000 trees, both forest-classified and fruit-bearing, are intact in Gobindpur forest area.

Following provisions of the ministry of environment and forest stage-2 clearance, the administration will take up afforestation, said an official. A nursery spread across 38 acres has come up at Nadiakhai village near Noliasahi. Afforestation will be undertaken shortly, said Mallick.

About 2.20 lakh trees have been felled so far. An equal number will be planted under a massive plantation drive along the 8-km boundary of the steel project, he said.

Posco has made a deposit of Rs 105 crore with the state government for the plantation drive. The Rajnagar Mangrove forest division and the Odisha Forest Development Corporation will jointly shoulder the responsibility of the plantation with Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation extending logistic support, said an official.