Security has been tightened in three gram panchayat areas of Orissa’s coastal Jagatsinghpur district, following a clash between villagers who welcome the proposed mega steel project of the South Korean major Posco in the locality and its opponents.

The clash which occurred near Balitutha under Dhinkia gram panchayat on Thursday evening left 15  people from both sides injured. The condition of seven of them is stated to be serious. “We have directed the Jagatsinghpur district administration to beef up security in the area to maintain peace,” a state home department spokesperson said here on Friday. Five platoons of armed police have been deployed in the area.

The clash took place after negotiations between both the parties over lifting of a barricade set up by the anti-Posco activists near Balitutha failed.