Police nexus alleged behind Wetland encroachment

People residing besides Bikramgarh Jheel on Tuesday observed the World Environment Day by cleaning the lake and awareness meeting.

Bikramgarh Jheel is one hot spot for the last few years where promoter of South City Mall has encroached an acre of the lake illegally and constructed highest apartment of the city.

“This is one of thousands instances of illegal encroachment of wetlands in the city and its suburb. Wetlands are fast falling prey to illegal construction and encroachment. The government is filing FIRs against the promoters, but police chose to be mute spectator,” said Naba Dutta of Nagarik Mancha, a social organisation.

Nagarik Mancha and other environment groups of the city and its suburb have formed a new platform-Sabuj Mancha (Green Platform) to protect environment. Interestingly, TMC leader and former Mayor-in-Council Javed Khan has filed a case against this encroachment while he was out of power. But today, he is an important minister in the Mamata Cabinet and equally silent on Bikramgarh Jheel.

Same is the story for over 100 acres wetland of Hindustan Motors (HM). The vast land was given to the company in early 50s for expansion of India’s first car factory. The company sold the wetland to Sri Ram Properties in over Rs 280 crores. But, the role of the government came under High Court scanner after Gana Udyog and Disha approached the court.

Now it is revealed that the West Bengal Industry department, as directed by the then minister Nirupam Sen, took the land back from Hindustan Motors to give it back again to the company for Rs10 crore with the intention that the car company will develop it for the benefit of people in terms of job. But instead of developing the land, HM sold it to Sri Ram for Rs 284 crore, and recorded the transaction of Rs 84 crore only on papers.

Sabuj Mancha complained that police is not acting even on the FIRs lodged by government agencies. East Calcutta Wetland is a declared ‘Ramsar Site’ where majority portion of the wetlands are under personal holdings.

Naba Dutta informed, “This is the only Ramsar site enlisted as wetland in the world where 85 per cent ownership is under private control, which is being threatened by promoter-politicians-police nexus.”

The state government has formed ‘East Calcutta Wetland Management Authority (EKWMA) to manage the Ramsar site, which is shrinking at an alarming rate. The Authority has filed 200 FIRs against illegal encroachment and land-filling in the last few years.

But police have not taken any stand in even a single case, alleged Sashanka Deb of Disha, another social outfit.

“Out of these 200, 172 FIRs were filed during Left Front regime and 28 in the last one year of TMC regime. The attitude of police have not changed. Illegal encroachers are protected and the poor fishermen are harassed,” he said.

But, environment is not the issue of wetlands only. “Large-scale tree-felling is affecting city’s air quality reducing its oxygen level. Apart from that, those who live on trees are being shelter-less,” remarked Shaswati Sen of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWFN).

She said, “Such act is also disturbing natural bio-diversity affecting mankind in general. We should remember that this world is also of them.”

Sabuj Mancha members have met with state’s environment minister on June 13 last year to discuss the issue with him. “We highlighted 21 issues with the minister last  year. We expected he would be looking into those issues. With utter dismay, no single issue was given importance,” said Prof. Sujoy Basu, eminent scientist and leading energy expert.

He feels the newly added trident lights on city roads are also objectionable. Those lights are up-faced and placed just under the trees on pavements. The trees' lives will be shortened and the creatures live on the trees are disturbed,” added Prof. Mohit Roy of Calcutta University.

While this is the situation, Bicyclists and Bicycle lovers today observed the Day through one-to-one dialogue with citizens and poster exhibition. Throughout the day, they took initiative for a mass petition against prohibition of bicycles on city roads since 8 am in the morning.

However, government as usual observed the day by planting saplings. Urban Development minister Firhad Hakim participated in a rally organized by NIP, an educational Centre for the Blind & Disabled Students and planted saplings. Starting at Deshapriya Park, the rally ended at Rabindra Sarovar. The state sponsored programme was held nearby.