Orissa High Court seeks report as illegal gheris increased by 5,400 acre

CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Thursday set March 8 deadline for the State government to submit an affidavit on the progress of a high-level committee constituted on its order for demolition of illegal prawn farms in Chilika lake.

The Court was hearing a PIL for restoration of the ecology of the wetland. The division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice BP Routray fixed the deadline after Amicus Curiae Mohit Agarwal pointed out that the extent of illegal prawn gheris has increased by 5,400 acre inside the lake since the meeting of the committee on February 20, 2020.

No action could be initiated during this period due to the pandemic, Agarwal also submitted on the basis of minutes of meeting of the committee held under the chairmanship of Principal Secretary of Revenue and Disaster Management department on February 3, 2021.

Taking note of it, the bench directed the government to file the affidavit including proceedings of the last meeting of the committee.

The chairperson, as per minutes of the February 3 meeting, was of the opinion that the illegal prawn gheris have been damaging the breeding ground of fish, which affects the fish production and also advised to protect the eco-system.

He also advised to explore the possibility of initiating criminal cases against the main offenders funding and taking up extensive prawn cultivation.

The committee had decided to take up controlled blasting on an experimental basis by exercising due cautions and observing all due procedures for demolition of earthen embankments of illegal prawn gheris / ponds by the district administrations of Puri, Ganjam and Khurda.

The chairperson also instructed all the three district collectors to take necessary steps to disconnect electricity supply to the illegal prawn gheris.

On April 3, 2017, the Supreme Court had issued a direction to the Chief Justice of High Courts in 15 states to take up the issue of conservation of ecology of important wetlands. In pursuance of it, the HC had taken up the issue by suo motu registering the PIL in September 2017 for restoration of ecology of Bhitarkanika National Park and Chilika lake.