Expert panel in Odisha to assess the environmental impact of Posco's proposed plant

A four-member expert panel constituted by the Union ministry of environment and forests visited Odisha on Tuesday to assess the environmental impact of South Korean steel maker Posco's proposed plant in the state, reports Nageshwar Patnaik from Bhubaneswar.

The panel toured Polanga, Nolia Sahi and other villages in Jagatsinghpur district near Paradip where Posco plans to build the 12 million tonne per annum steel plant.

The team tried to assess the possible impact of forest diversion and cutting of thousands of trees on the coastal area.

"We will submit our report to the ministry very shortly," said K Roy Paul, head of the expert panel and a former civil aviation secretary.