Villagers up in arms against JSW's tree cutting in Odisha's Jagatsinghpur, demand compensation

Palpable tension prevailed at the gate of JSW located at Nuagaon under Erasama tehsil in Jagatsinghpur as local residents staged a demonstration in front of the gate on Tuesday. 

The villagers protested against the company's felling of trees and demanded the removal of tree-cutting machines from near the boundary wall. 

The protest started when locals came together to demonstrate against the cutting of trees in the area, which they claimed is vital to their livelihoods and the local environment. 

Several villagers sat down in protest and demanded that the company act immediately and restore the area where they cut down the trees. 

They alleged that JSW failed to deliver on many commitments, including compensation. 

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“We did not oppose the establishment of the company; however, it is now preventing our livestock from grazing,” said a local, adding, “We have not yet received the promised compensation. We will continue our protest here until the company and the administration come to the site for negotiations.”

The agitating villagers threatened that if their demands were not fulfilled, they would continue their agitation and warned that they were ready to go further with their actions till the company met their demands. 

On being informed, police reached the protest site and launched an investigation into the current dispute. The community is united in its call for justice and accountability from JSW as tensions continue to rise, underlining the importance of environmental preservation and community rights. 

The situation is learnt to continue to evolve as negotiations between the villagers and the company remain unresolved.