AGARTALA / NEW DELHI, March 11 (TIWN): Tripura’s proposed Rs 5000 crores Urea Plant most likely will never see the light of the day as company is running under heavy cash crunch and begging banks for their existing operations. As per latest reports, Chambal Fertilisers will raise Rs 1,057 crore loan from SBI and Axis to establish new urea unit at its existing plant in Kota, Rajasthan. Besides, the company will also avail a Rs 300 crore bank guarantee from State Bank of India. In a regulatory filing, Chambal Fertilisers & Chemicals Ltd today said it has executed a loan agreement with SBI for term loan of Rs 500 crore and with Axis Bank for term loan of Rs 557.85 crore. Even though Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar tried his best to impress upon PM Modi to help getting Central environment clearance, Central fund for establishing infrastructure during PM’s Tripura visit on December 1st, but Central Govt is still non-committal about infrastructure fundings, environmental clearance for this project. Last month, Chambal Fertilizers had said it has entered into an agreement with four banks including SBI, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank and Exim Bank for availing foreign currency loan of USD 550 million.If at all in future this plant comes up, it would certainly bring a massive catastrophe in the form of soil, water, air pollution affecting the lives of lakhs of people living in hilly region at Damcherra, Panisagar.

Heavy resentments brewing over proposed 800 acres Gas Based Urea Fertilizer plant at Damchhera R D Block, Panisagar. Local Halam, Reang tribals won't give-up land but ready to face death in upcoming days if Tripura Govt, ONGC, Chambal Fertilizers finally moves ahead in acquiring land forcibly from Halam, Reang tribals.

A storm of controversy has risen between Panisagar Sub Divisional administration and the local tribals of Halam, Reang community living in the land under Damchhera R D Block.

This is the place where the proposed Gas Based Urea Fertilizer plant  is scheduled to be built.

Purely depending on Jhum Cultivation these families are unhappy with the current state govt attitude towards them and now they are stubborn to fight till death in order to protect their household.

Halam Community has formed Ranlong Youth Association (RYA) with Jabosh Ronglong as its President and Joy Chiang Thang as Secretary to protest against this plant..

CM Manik Sarkar's letter submitted to PM Modi on December 1, 2014 at State Guest House. TIWN

 Speaking to TIWN, both President and Secretary of Ronglong Youth Association(RYA) said, " These people are the sons of the soil since birth. Main occupation of these Halam Community people is Jhum Cultivation. If Fertilizer plant is built on this hill, people living on this hill will die from starvation. Moreover, the plant will have serious impact on environment." They demanded that on 16th June 1974 the then Chief Minister Sukhomoy Sengupta allotted this land to these Halam community people. Long after this current Left Front Govt allotted land to 196 families under Rehabilitation Scheme. Surprisingly out of 196 families 136 families are yet to get such document. They also claim that as per ammemdment of Section 16,189 of Land Revenue Act 1960 state govt can easily give tenant rights to these Halam community people if it desires so.

 The proposed land is located in Rahunchhera Mouja of Damchhera R D Block .

The disputed land is surrounded by Mizoram on the east, Dharmanagar is located around 20km distance from here, Roah Natural Sanctuary is located on the North and Kanchanpur Sub Division on the West.  

Among the 2016 inhabitants of the hill 60% belong to Halam community, 35% to Reang and rest 5% to Rupini community.

In order to solve the dispute several times RYA made reputation to SDM Panisagar but after their deputation the SDM did not pay heed to their basic demands but imposed a restriction on the entry of anybody on the disputed land by installing a signboard of 'No entry without permission'  Rather the SDM imposed an injection on the illegal entry of any body. " The area has a Primary School and a Senior Basic School.

As per the scientists, proposed Urea Plant will bring enormous devastations to the whole region. Air pollution, soil and water contamination, diseases, early death of tribals, destruction of nature, wildlife will affect this region for centuries - whole landscape  would turn into a desert due to poisonous effect of  Urea Plant.