Bhubaneswar: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has sought an action taken report from the Odisha government over allegations of a proposal to fell more than 2,000 full-grown trees for a new building project at National Institute of Technology Rourkela.
The communication, issued on March 20, was addressed to the Additional Chief Secretary of the state’s Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department following a complaint filed by environmental activist Alaya Samantaray.
In its letter, the Ministry urged the department to examine the matter thoroughly and take action in accordance with applicable environmental laws and regulations. It also asked the state authorities to submit an action taken report at the earliest for further consideration.
According to the complaint, the proposed construction site lies within a dense green patch inside the NIT Rourkela campus, which functions as an ecological buffer zone and supports local biodiversity. The complainant has suggested that an alternative site within the campus—where groundwork for the Civil Engineering Department has already commenced and which reportedly has minimal tree cover—could be utilised to avoid large-scale felling.
Samantaray, in his representation, highlighted the ecological importance of the NIT campus, describing it as a green lung for the industrial city of Rourkela. He noted that while tree felling for infrastructure projects has occurred in the past, the scale proposed in the present case is significant and potentially avoidable.
He further urged the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Rourkela, to review any permissions granted for the project and advise the institute to revisit its construction plan, with an emphasis on minimising tree loss by exploring alternative locations.
The development places the spotlight on balancing infrastructure expansion with environmental conservation, particularly in institutional campuses that serve as key urban green zones.
