Land sharks destroyed ‘green-fuel’ plants
10-year-long labour that has gone into the cultivation of bio-diesel
yielding plants Jatropha Curcus is lost. Local farmers of Asansol have
planted nearly 2 lakh Jatropha plants on 100 acres of vested land at
Shyamdihi of Burnpur. Some land-sharks allegedly engaged armed-gangs and
ran JCB machines to uproot plants more than half of the plants and
flattened it. The destruction is immense in terms of environment
degradation and loss of bio-diesel production which is again an
environment-friendly future fuel.
The crop, which could produce 25,000 litres of bio-diesel, is now no more. Some local farmers, a team of researchers from a local college have now moved against the issue to National Green Tribunal (NGT), after they found district administration remaining inactive, despite formal complaints, for alleged complicity of the offenders with the ruling Trinamool Congress. The NGT immediately took note of the issue and asked the petitioners to serve copies to all the parties concerned. It has also instructed the State Pollution Control Board to look into the matter and furnish a report immediately.
Farmer Jiten Bauri and Sanatan Bauri, who led the plantation on the vested land with direct encouragement of Paschimanchal Unnayan Parishad, a government regional development organization, said, "Narayan Chandra Mukherjee of Shyamdihi led a pack of local hooligans, attacked us. They then pressed JCB into action to complete the destruction of the plants. They threatened us with dire consequences, when we protested." Sanatan Bauri said, "Plantation of Jatropha Curcus also gave us an idea about alternative farming."
TOI tried to speak to both Narayan Mukherjee, a land broker and Pradip Singh, a realtor, based out in Burnpur. But their phones remained unattended. R&D wing of BB College of Asansol did the experiments both on account of environment, bio-diesel production and alternative farming on semi-arid land since 2002. "We achieved encouraging results on the rate of growth parameter of the plant and oil-content of the seed. With the bio-diesel we produced, we ran tractors and generators in agriculture sector, ran pump stoves in domestic sector and ran vehicles with bio-diesel. The pollution dipped remarkably and engine-performance was optimum. Moreover, we use B66 (66 per cent bio-fuel and 34 per cent diesel)," said a BB College official, who wanted to maintain his anonymity for the atmosphere of terror prevailed over the area.
Significantly, the Jatropha Curcus is highly draught resistant variety fittest for controlling air pollution in Asansol, which is one of the 27 critically polluted area of India. The plantation was done on plots of vested land of moujas like 1329, 1490, 1411, 1483 of Shaymidihi, JL No 16, under Hirapur police staton.
The college authority lodged a complaint before the officer in charge of Hirapur police station, but the police refused to take any action. Offenders claimed that they had purchased the land against an iniitial payment of Rs 22 lakh. But even police could not give details how such transaction on vested land. The greenery was developed by using state funds and private players by using hooligans have destroyed it completely for constructing multi-storeyed mall, said Rabi Shankar Chattopadhyay, the lawyer who moved the petition.
Chattopadhyay said that the state is not fully grasping the importance of bio-diesel and protection and preservation of Jatropha Curcus and the environment. This is why the complete destruction happened.
The crop, which could produce 25,000 litres of bio-diesel, is now no more. Some local farmers, a team of researchers from a local college have now moved against the issue to National Green Tribunal (NGT), after they found district administration remaining inactive, despite formal complaints, for alleged complicity of the offenders with the ruling Trinamool Congress. The NGT immediately took note of the issue and asked the petitioners to serve copies to all the parties concerned. It has also instructed the State Pollution Control Board to look into the matter and furnish a report immediately.
Farmer Jiten Bauri and Sanatan Bauri, who led the plantation on the vested land with direct encouragement of Paschimanchal Unnayan Parishad, a government regional development organization, said, "Narayan Chandra Mukherjee of Shyamdihi led a pack of local hooligans, attacked us. They then pressed JCB into action to complete the destruction of the plants. They threatened us with dire consequences, when we protested." Sanatan Bauri said, "Plantation of Jatropha Curcus also gave us an idea about alternative farming."
TOI tried to speak to both Narayan Mukherjee, a land broker and Pradip Singh, a realtor, based out in Burnpur. But their phones remained unattended. R&D wing of BB College of Asansol did the experiments both on account of environment, bio-diesel production and alternative farming on semi-arid land since 2002. "We achieved encouraging results on the rate of growth parameter of the plant and oil-content of the seed. With the bio-diesel we produced, we ran tractors and generators in agriculture sector, ran pump stoves in domestic sector and ran vehicles with bio-diesel. The pollution dipped remarkably and engine-performance was optimum. Moreover, we use B66 (66 per cent bio-fuel and 34 per cent diesel)," said a BB College official, who wanted to maintain his anonymity for the atmosphere of terror prevailed over the area.
Significantly, the Jatropha Curcus is highly draught resistant variety fittest for controlling air pollution in Asansol, which is one of the 27 critically polluted area of India. The plantation was done on plots of vested land of moujas like 1329, 1490, 1411, 1483 of Shaymidihi, JL No 16, under Hirapur police staton.
The college authority lodged a complaint before the officer in charge of Hirapur police station, but the police refused to take any action. Offenders claimed that they had purchased the land against an iniitial payment of Rs 22 lakh. But even police could not give details how such transaction on vested land. The greenery was developed by using state funds and private players by using hooligans have destroyed it completely for constructing multi-storeyed mall, said Rabi Shankar Chattopadhyay, the lawyer who moved the petition.
Chattopadhyay said that the state is not fully grasping the importance of bio-diesel and protection and preservation of Jatropha Curcus and the environment. This is why the complete destruction happened.
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