Hindustan Times: Mumbai: Saturday, 29 April 2023.
Three years after the formation of the sub-committee by the direction of the High Court to verify the status of all wetlands in Uran identified under the National Wetland Inventory Atlas (NWIA), activists trying to access reports made by the committee post its visit to the area have hit a dead end.
The sub-committee report was deemed to be vital for protecting and conserving the wetlands as over the past four years, the sensitive wetlands at Dastan Phata, Bhendkal and Savarkhar are totally destroyed, observed environmentalists .
Local activist Nandakumar Pawar, head of Shri Ekvira Aai Pratishtan, said the destruction continues to be a serious matter in the ecologically sensitive Uran region which has been experiencing floods even in summer months due to the blocking of free flow of tidal waters which were earlier absorbed by the wetlands. “As per BNHS statistics over 250,000 birds used to visit Panje wetland alone, said Pawar. “But now we find that the wetland goes dry off and on with the blocking of tidal water inlets,” Pawar who is fighting various legal battles to save Panje.
Observing that the region’s biodiversity continues to suffer, information was sought under the Right to Information Act (RTI) from Konkan Divisional Commissioner who also heads the High Court mandated committees. Environmental activist BN Kumar on 26 February had sought under RTI the report filed by the committee post its visit to Panje wetlands. “My application was forwarded to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and they in-turn have reverted stating that the office has no details regarding the report.” said Kumar, Director of Nat Connect Foundation.
In 2020, the sub-committee was required to submit a detailed report on their findings within 15 days of its constitution. The Raigad district administration informing the HC about Uran Taluka having no wetland sites had then prompted the High Court (HC) appointed Konkan wetland grievance redressal and state mangrove monitoring committee to form the sub- committee.
Kumar said he had filed the RTI application since no information is available in public domain on the study of the subcommittee nor does it figure in any of the HC Committees’ minutes of meetings.
The sub-committee was supposed to have had representatives from the Raigad district collector, the environment and forest departments, police and CIDCO along with representatives from the NGO Vanashakti. “There was no proper visit ever done by the committee nor did we receive a report of the token visit done earlier,” said Stalin.
Three years after the formation of the sub-committee by the direction of the High Court to verify the status of all wetlands in Uran identified under the National Wetland Inventory Atlas (NWIA), activists trying to access reports made by the committee post its visit to the area have hit a dead end.
The sub-committee report was deemed to be vital for protecting and conserving the wetlands as over the past four years, the sensitive wetlands at Dastan Phata, Bhendkal and Savarkhar are totally destroyed, observed environmentalists .
Local activist Nandakumar Pawar, head of Shri Ekvira Aai Pratishtan, said the destruction continues to be a serious matter in the ecologically sensitive Uran region which has been experiencing floods even in summer months due to the blocking of free flow of tidal waters which were earlier absorbed by the wetlands. “As per BNHS statistics over 250,000 birds used to visit Panje wetland alone, said Pawar. “But now we find that the wetland goes dry off and on with the blocking of tidal water inlets,” Pawar who is fighting various legal battles to save Panje.
Observing that the region’s biodiversity continues to suffer, information was sought under the Right to Information Act (RTI) from Konkan Divisional Commissioner who also heads the High Court mandated committees. Environmental activist BN Kumar on 26 February had sought under RTI the report filed by the committee post its visit to Panje wetlands. “My application was forwarded to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and they in-turn have reverted stating that the office has no details regarding the report.” said Kumar, Director of Nat Connect Foundation.
In 2020, the sub-committee was required to submit a detailed report on their findings within 15 days of its constitution. The Raigad district administration informing the HC about Uran Taluka having no wetland sites had then prompted the High Court (HC) appointed Konkan wetland grievance redressal and state mangrove monitoring committee to form the sub- committee.
Kumar said he had filed the RTI application since no information is available in public domain on the study of the subcommittee nor does it figure in any of the HC Committees’ minutes of meetings.
The sub-committee was supposed to have had representatives from the Raigad district collector, the environment and forest departments, police and CIDCO along with representatives from the NGO Vanashakti. “There was no proper visit ever done by the committee nor did we receive a report of the token visit done earlier,” said Stalin.