By Express News Service
Published: 27th October 2014
BALANGIR: Though the Supreme Court (SC) had directed all the
State Governments to formulate a policy for eviction of unauthorised occupation
of common land in 2011, the Odisha Government is yet to work on the directive.
Sources said the Government land like Gochar (grazing land),
Jalchar (water sources), Patra jungle (minor forest), Smasan (cremation
ground), Anabadi (unused land) and Dera Ghar
(meant for construction of rest house) are encroached by influential
people in most of villages and towns in the district.
As per the District Statistical Hand Book published in 2009,
the district had 56,239 hectare (ha) of forest cover, 52,419 ha to be used for
non-agricultural purposes, 16,071 ha of barren and non-cultivable land, 40,026
ha of permanent pasture and grazing land, 1162 ha of land for miscellaneous use
and 22932 ha of cultivable waste land. Similarly, as per Patna State Settlement
in 1936, there were 9087 water harvesting structures in the district.
Village common land was used for public utility purposes
including playground, water bodies, grazing of cattle and cremation since long.
Gradually, this type of land was encroached by influential people depriving
villagers of community use.
Similarly, in industrial areas, water bodies and forest
cover have declined drastically. The heavily silted small ponds having limited
water holding capacity have mostly disappeared. During land settlement,
influential people in the villages managed to record such land in their favour.
A study conducted by Rastra Bharati, a social organisation
working on land issues, in 20 villages of Bangomunda and Turekela blocks in
2013-14 revealed that the size and productivity of common land have declined by
75-80 per cent during the last 50 years.
According to environment experts, destruction of traditional
water harvesting systems has impacted the ground water recharge process leading
to water shortage and drought in the district. Balangir region is prone to
drought than any other natural calamity. Between 1965 and 2014, it was under
the grip of drought on 14 occasions.
Patnagarh town used to have around 120 water bodies and
almost all nearby villages had their own water bodies. But now, those have
disappeared. Similarly, Narayan Sagar, a large water body in Loisingha, which
was constructed over 133 acres of land by the then zamindar Narayan Singh Roy
in 1857, has vanished.
When contacted, Collector M Muthukumar said he had not
received any instruction from the State Government on SC’s directives. After
getting the same, he will act as per the guidelines, the Collector added.
http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/No-Govt-Step-Yet-on-SC-Order/2014/10/27/article2494963.ece
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