Centre seeks report from Odisha over claim that 2,000 trees may be felled at NIT

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change asked officials to examine a complaint filed by an environmental activist about a building project

Published on: Mar 23, 2026, 20:33:31 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty, Bhubaneswar

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The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has sought an action taken report from the Odisha government over allegations that more than 2,000 mature trees may be felled for a new building project at National Institute of Technology (NIT), Rourkela. .

Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav. (Sansad TV)

In a letter dated March 20 to the additional Chief Secretary of the Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department, the ministry asked the officials to examine a complaint filed by an environmental activist and take action in line with applicable environmental laws. It also directed the state to submit a report at the earliest for further consideration.

Environmental activist Alaya Samantaray’s complaint alleged that the proposed construction site lies within a dense green patch inside the NIT campus in Rourkela.

According to the complaint, the area functions as an ecological buffer zone supporting local biodiversity. The complainant suggested that an alternative site within the campus where groundwork for a Civil Engineering Department project has reportedly begun and tree cover is limited, could be used to avoid large-scale felling.

Samantaray in his letter said that the NIT campus serves as a “green lung” for the industrial city and warned that the scale of tree felling proposed in the current case could have significant ecological consequences.

He also urged the Divisional Forest Officer in Rourkela to review any permissions granted for the project and advise the institute to reconsider its construction plan, with a focus on minimising tree loss by exploring alternative locations.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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