Bhubaneswar: Acting on concerns raised by Deputy Speaker of the Odisha Legislative Assembly, Bhabani Shankar Bhoi, the Odisha Government directed Sundargarh District Collector Manoj Satyawan Mahajan to conduct a thorough investigation into alleged illegal mining and deforestation activities in the Hemgiri and Koida regions.

In an official letter, Additional Secretary of the Steel and Mines Department, Daulat Chandrakar, instructed the Collector to submit an inquiry report at the earliest. The letter noted appropriate action would be initiated based on the findings of the report.

The directive follows an earlier investigation by enforcement teams from the Steel and Mines Department, which looked into reports of unauthorised mining operations in the Koida forest range and Hemgiri block.

The issue was brought to the attention of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi by Deputy Speaker Bhoi, who raised alarms over the environmental degradation and adverse impacts on local livelihoods. Several media reports also shed light on the alleged illegal activities, underlining their potential threat to the region’s ecology and communities.