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News Topical, Digital Desk : Several environmental organisations on Friday demanded a thorough probe into alleged encroachment and illegal construction in parts of the East Kolkata Wetland (EKW), a Ramsar-listed wetland of international importance.
This demand comes just days after a massive fire broke out at two warehouses in the Nazirabad area of Anandapur, Kolkata, claiming several lives. It is alleged that these warehouses were constructed in violation of Ramsar guidelines.
Several environmental groups, including Sabuj Manch, Proyash, Basundhara Cultural and Literary Society, and the East Kolkata Fisheries Association, raised the issue.
Somendra Mohan Ghosh of Save Rabindra Sarovar Forum said a communiqué listing some of the issues has been sent to the East Kolkata Wetland Management Authority (EKWMA), highlighting that the wetland is protected under the Ramsar Convention, an international treaty.
The letter also expressed concern over large-scale construction and encroachment in violation of Ramsar guidelines. Environmentalist Naba Dutta of Sabuj Manch expressed concern over the widening of Nazirabad Road, alleging that the process has narrowed about seven kilometres of the Anandpur Canal, which falls within the Ramsar-protected wetland system.
The canal has gradually been converted into built-up areas, including roads, warehouses, and commercial establishments. "We are demanding a transparent report from the EKWMA's Chief Technical Officer on how the names of areas within the Ramsar site were changed, who authorized these changes, and why many areas do not appear on the latest official EKW maps," he said.
Environmental groups have urged authorities to conduct an independent investigation into alleged encroachments, map discrepancies, and violations of environmental norms, warning that continued wetland degradation could have long-term ecological consequences for Kolkata and its surrounding areas. At the time of filing this report, there has been no official response from the EKWMA on these issues.
This is the Ramsar Convention.
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and wise use of wetlands, adopted on February 2, 1971, in Ramsar, Iran. It entered into force in 1975, with the aim of conserving wetlands to maintain ecological balance. It entered into force in India on February 1, 1982. Provides more information.
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