Nuagaon women guard forests

PARADIP: After Gobindpur, the anti-Posco agitation has spread to Nuagaon village with the residents resorting to blockade to prevent the administration and police from entering the region on Monday. After the clash between police and the villagers on Saturday, villagers of Nuagaon and Gadakujang have been staging agitations to protest the proposed Posco steel project. While the irate villagers were earlier demanding fulfilment of their six demands, they now want immediate withdrawal of the project from the area.Sources said in the wake of Saturday’s unsuccessful attempt by the administration to fell trees in Mathasahi under Nuagaon panchayat which led to a scuffle between the police and the villagers causing injury to five women, villagers are keeping a strict vigil in the area. On Monday, a large number of women were seen guarding the forest area at Mathasahi while men  staged a dharna at Nuagaon under the banner of Bhitamati Surakshya Manch (BSM).Meanwhile, Ersama BDO Murlidhar Swain said ancillary and construction work of Posco may be deferred by another two to three days as the work would begin only after taking consent of the villagers.  “There is no possibility of resuming work on Tuesday as the situation is yet to be normal,” he added.