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Pohang Iron and Steel Company (POSCO) - Quit Odisha, India

Pohang Iron and Steel Company (POSCO) - Quit Odisha, India

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This petition has been created by gayathri S. and may not represent the views of the Avaaz community.
gayathri S.
started this petition to
POSCO CEO - Mr. Chung Joonyang, Chief Minister of Odisha - Mr. Naveen Patnaik
For the villagers, tribes, forest dwellers of Jagatsinghpur, Odisha, India, its been almost 8 years of continuing struggle against the Odisha government and its newly found business partner - POSCO.

On productive and fertile lands of villages in Jagatsinghpur would now come up a massive steel plant with a production capacity of 12 million tonnes per annum (MTPA), which is equivalent to the combined production of the top 6 steel plants of India: Bhilai, Bokaro, Durgapur, Rourkela, Burnpur and Salem.

The MOU between the Odisha State and POSCO, granted POSCO an unprecedented deal: POSCO could extract 600 million tonnes of high quality iron ore over a 30 years lease period, 60% of which could be exported without processing. There was a rider though that such export would have to be in tandem with equivalent import of similar quality of iron ore – a specious practice indeed considering that it is in the interest of India not to allow export
of raw ore at all and insist on value addition in-country. In addition, the clause demanding that an equal amount of similar quality of ore must be imported back to replace the quantity exported out, raises questions about what this transport game is all about.

All the clearances were based on Rapid Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (REIA), so called because it
considered impacts based on studies conducted during only one season. Various independent analyses of these studies have found them to be highly deficient. For instance, such analysis have revealed that POSCOs REIA has paid scant respect to the fundamental rights of forest dependent communities under the Forest Rights Act, claiming even that such rights did not exist in the villages affected by the project.

There was scarce interest in the fact that this region was an highly sensitive zone ecologically, as the beaches here are nesting grounds of the endangered Olive Ridley Turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea)and critical spawning areas for the equally endangered Horse Shoe Crabs (Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda), both protected under the Wildlife Protection Act.

More than 10,000 acres of cultivable lands and forest lands will be irretrievably lost and with it the vibrancy of life itself.
In this serene, green fertile place we could probably stand witness to the building of a mega industrial empire with its legacy of pollution & poisoning and destruction.
Pollution & Poisoning of Soil, Rivers, Oceans, Air and last but not least - Noise pollution.
Destruction - of the ecosystem, habitat, livelihoods/lifestyles, identity and all beings precious that could never be replaced again...

i have started this petition in the hope and with faith that our collective voices, connections, prayers, empathy, love and our signatures could make a difference and restore this place and its people to a sense of PEACE and BELONGING!

i request you to sign and share this as a gesture of your support, standing, connection.....

Your signatures will be emailed to the concerned authorities.

Data Source:
http://esgindia.org/sites/default/files/resources/reports/resources/water-landscape-esg-posco-final-b-filed-.pdf



much gratitude,
gayathri subramanian



Posted (Updated )