Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd (HPL) has alleged that the firm is facing environmental threats following a series of unauthorised felling of trees in the factory’s green belt.

Authorities of the firm alleged that a few individuals from New Para and areas in the factory’s vicinity had been caught felling trees illegally. The HPL’s security personnel had apprehended those individuals during routine patrolling and handed them to Haldia police.

However, a resident of New Para said the lack of employment opportunities in the locality had prompted a few youths to take to such illegal ways for easy money.

A spokesperson for the HPL stressed the indispensable role of trees in preserving the environment and said those incidents not only jeopardised the ecosystem but also posed a serious threat to the seamless operation of the plant.

The spokesperson accused the local administration of not taking any action despite repeated pleas. “This has compelled us to go public on the issue,” he said.

Asked about the allegations levelled against the administration, the chairman
of the Haldia Development Authority Jyotirmoy Kar said he was unaware of the incident.

Kar said he would look into the matter and take the necessary steps to curb the tree felling.

The Telegraph tried to contact Haldia subdivisional police officer Rahul Pandey many times, but the calls went unanswered.