Two-pronged action plan for city's waterbodies

KOLKATA: Water bodies and wetlands in and around the city are under siege due to rapid unplanned urbanization. Ponds have been filled up to make way for apartments, particularly in wards 100 to 141, a list of which is with the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. Illegal structures have come up on either sides of Kolkata-Basanti Road passing through the East Kolkata Wetlands even after it got the international Ramsar site status.Garbage and construction sludge inundate water bodies on either sides of EM Bypass and Rabindra Sarobar, which has earned national lake status. The state environment department is taking stock of all water bodies before the government comes out with dos and don'ts.
"We are preparing a status report on the present condition of the water bodies and will consult experts before coming out with a comprehensive action plan. The two-pronged action plan will have both short term and long term targets because we need to improve the city's environment," said environment minister Sudarshan Ghosh Dastidar. The status report will be submitted to chief minister Mamata Banerjee soon.
Ghosh Dastidar had inspected the major waterbodies in and around the city like Subhas Sarobar, Rabindra Sarobar, Dumurjola and the East Kolkata Wetlands last week and found out that these were not properly maintained. The minister also said that he found concrete embankments and garbage around waterbodies quite disturbing.
Both Rabindra Sarobar and Subhas Sarobar that are no-plastic zones are maintained by the Kolkata Improvement Trust (KIT), which is getting merged with the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. The West Bengal Pollution Control Board had earlier laid down certain guidelines to protect the environment of the water bodies, but these were not properly followed.
The East Kolkata Wetland Management Authority (EKWMA) recently gave a detailed presentation of their plans to develop the huge 12,500 hectare wetland. EKW authorities have several plans to develop Ramsar site. There are quite a few obstacles to develop the wetlands like the presence of illegal structures and accumulation of garbage in different places of the area.
The state environment department is also trying to highlight environmental issues as much as possible to generate more awareness on the subject. On June 5 - which is World Environment Day -- the environment department along with Kolkata and Bengal Police will organize a huge awareness programme in the city. A rally will be taken out from Deshapriya Park to Rabindra Sarabor. Tableaus are being made on different issues like forest, river, plastic, noise and air pollution to be put up for the rally. Schoolchildren will take part in the rally and will also perform at Najrul Mancha as part of the awareness building exercise. The department also plans to prevent the abuse of plastic pouches and bags with thickness less than the permissible 40 microns. KMC had initiated the move but could not implement it reportedly due to a lack of supervision and cooperation from other municipalities.