Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court expressed dismay over the tardy progress made by the East Kolkata Wetlands Management Authority (EKWMA) and the state in pulling down the identified 505 unauthorized constructions encroaching the wetlands, a Ramsar site.
Justice Amrita Sinha directed the EKWMA and the state to submit a progress report to the court during the next hearing of the matter on July 31 to keep tabs on the demolition work.“The pace of work is so slow that the court is in doubt when the wetlands will be restored to its original state,” Justice Sinha said in her order.
Noting that power utilities, namely CESC and WBSEDCL, had provided electricity connections to the unauthorized constructions that had come up in the wetlands area, Justice Sinha wondered how they could receive applications mentioning premises numbers in the wetlands. The court directed the power utilities to find out how the electricity connections were provided to the illegal buildings and submit a report on the steps taken for disconnection of electricity.
The state counsel pleaded that notice had been served to the unauthorized constructions and as many as 377 charge sheets were filed. The state counsel also submitted that a committee had been formed with members from the local municipalities and the jurisdictional DM to hear out the parties before passing orders for demolition. The counsel submitted that 52 reasoned orders had been passed.
“How many structures have been demolished in the last seven months from Dec, 2023, to July, 2024 since the last affidavit was filed on Dec 19, 2023,” Justice Sinha said. The counsel submitted that a three-storied building was pulled down in 2022.
“Why aren’t you proceeding against the others? The court is convinced that you are doing nothing,” Justice Sinha said.
The EKWMA counsel submitted that new constructions in the wetlands had been stopped. “No building plan is being sanctioned at present,” the counsel said.
Justice Sinha held that the steps taken by the authorities didn’t appear to be in sync with the EKW (Conservation and Management) Act, 2006 and Rules.