Last month, a massive fire at two illegal warehouses in Anandapur under the Baruipur police district in West Bengal claimed 25 lives. While arrests were made and compensations paid, questions were also raised over how such illegal constructions were allowed in the wetlands.
It has now emerged that a green activist and an individual who owns a property just a few steps away from the warehouses had separately moved the National Green Tribunal (NGT) Eastern Zone in this regard in the last few years.
2023 petition
In 2023, Ankur Sharma, a green activist and advocate, moved the NGT against illegal filling of the East Kolkata Wetlands – an internationally recognised Ramsar site. According to Sharma, close to 88.52 acres of the wetlands were being filled and sold off as residential plots.
In the petition, Sharma alleged that “land sharks in collusion with government officials have challenged the authority of the international convention and thus the existence of East Kolkata Wetlands. Due to such rampant encroachment of the East Kolkata Wetlands, it is slipping into a state of ‘extinction’.”
He had also questioned the role of the local administration, as electric supply lines and electric poles were erected by West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited in the wetlands.
Sharma alleged that the local body also constructed or extended approach roads to the wetlands, thus enabling land sharks to sell the wetlands by filling them or draining them completely.
In January 2024, after hearing all sides, the NGT formed a committee to inspect the site in question and submit its report within four weeks with regard to the allegations made. The Committee had submitted a report to the statutory body stating that close to 600 illegal constructions had been found. Subsequently, demolition orders were issued, but the matter is still pending before the NGT.
September 2024 complaint
After that, in September 2024, an individual who had bought close to six acres of land in Najirabad, Anandapur, where the fire incident occurred, complained to the NGT.
According to Captain P Bhowmick, who had purchased land in the area, he had written to the NGT seeking steps to save Nazirabad village, which falls under the East Kolkata Wetlands Conservation area (South 24 Parganas, Karimpur Mouja, Sonarpur Block).
Thereafter, the NGT had taken suo motu cognizance of the case. In an order given in 2025, the NGT stated, “In another e-mail dated 04.07.2024 sent to the Office of the Tribunal addressed to the Pollution Control Board (PCB) (Copy of which has been sent to this Tribunal), it is alleged that several new concrete/metal Hanger construction are going on in full swing; private telephone tower constructions are in progress; Cold Storage Hanger is in progress which is a fishery in nature having an area of about 100 bighas and the nature of the land has been changed from fisheries to Shali land by dumping old building debris within 1 year.”
The Tribunal had constituted a committee with a direction to visit the site in question and submit its fact-finding report.
The date of inspection of the site was set in January 2025, one year before the fateful night. A report was submitted by the Block Land and Land Reforms Officer (BL&LRO), Sonarpur, South 24 Parganas, dated March 4, 2025, which shows several plots in the East Kolkata Wetland Management Authority area having illegal constructions.
The Tribunal, while disposing of the matter in its order stated, “Therefore, dispose of this Original Application with a direction to the East Kolkata Management Authority and the District Magistrate & Collector, South 24 Parganas, to take steps forthwith to remove all encroachments in the East Kolkata Wetlands and removal of all the constructions from the various L.R. Nos. and R.S. Nos. mentioned in the Report of the BL&LRO, Sonarpur, South 24 Parganas.”
While the Tribunal had ordered the removal of all the encampments on the wetlands, locals stated that nothing happened on the ground.
After the fire incident, once again an application was filed with the NGT (Eastern Zone), alleging illegal filling, conversion, and commercial exploitation of wetlands in Karimpur Mouza under Narendrapur Police Station in the South 24 Parganas.
Advocate Ankur Sharma has sought directions to safeguard wetlands from encroachment, contamination, and pollution. He also petitioned for an immediate stop to all construction and filling activities in the area and to order the demolition and removal of illegal constructions, subject to the findings of a committee.
He stated that the ecology of the East Kolkata Wetlands is being systematically degraded due to illegal filling, draining, and conversion of wetlands in and around Karimpur Mouza.
Speaking to The Indian Express, environmentalist S M Ghosh said, “The wetlands, which are like the kidney of Kolkata, are further drying up. The rainwater harvesting… is also lost due to 60 per cent concretisation. The wetlands also work as a ‘carbon sink’, which helps in reducing air pollution, but as we lose the wetlands, the air pollution will rise, and the ecological balance will also be lost.”
The matter will be heard next on April 8.