Sambalpur: The residents of Deogaon area in Sambalpur district on Wednesday submitted a memorandum to the collector, demanding immediate cancellation of a proposed ethanol plant along the banks of river Mahanadi, with villagers and local organisations protesting against the project.Describing the project as part of a broader attempt to exploit natural resources in western Odisha, protesters said it threatened the area’s ecological balance. They warned that the agitation would intensify if the administration failed to intervene.Sambalpur district collector Siddheshwar Baliram Bondar said the memorandum has been received and the matter will be examined.The protest saw participation of a large number of villagers, including women, who carried national flags and raised slogans, opposing the proposed plant.People from the Rairakhol assembly segment alleged that the project could severely pollute air, water and soil, posing serious risks to public health and environment.Questioning regulatory compliance, social activist Asaf Ali Khan said environmental norms prohibit industrial projects within a 10-km radius of protected forests, wildlife sanctuaries or densely populated areas. He alleged that the proposed site is around 500 metres away from the Mahanadi river and barely 50 metres from an elephant corridor.Senior BJP MLA Jayanarayan Mishra and other political leaders have also expressed concern, particularly over the potential impact of industrial waste, including fly ash.
