Orissa High Court calls for action against illegal prawn gheris

CUTTACK:  The Orissa High Court has given a fresh call for prompt corrective action without hindrance by all State authorities acting in close co-operation to address the threat posed by illegal prawn gheris to the Chilika and Bhitarkanika.

The call came while the court on Tuesday took stock of the progress of removal of illegal prawn gheris from the two wetlands along with a report by Amicus Curiae Mohit Agarwal. The report said, “In order to save the Chilika and Bhitarkanika wetlands, it is necessary for lodging of criminal prosecutions so that the encroachments and pollution activities don’t recur again and again, as because once the diversity of the wetlands is destroyed, it cannot be reclaimed”.

The operation of illegal prawn gheris attracted the provisions of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984, Environment Protection Act, 1986 and the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2019, the Amicus Curiae said.  Advocate General Ashok Kumar Parija on his part assured on behalf of the State government that although a number of FIRs have been registered, the Amicus Curiae’s note will be examined and wherever warranted, either the provisions pointed out added to those FIRs or separate FIRs will be registered. 

Taking note of it, a division bench comprising Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice SK Panigrahi said, “This court directs that on the next date a separate report be presented before this court by Office of the Advocate General, Odisha on the number of complaints filed and provisions under which against those FIRs have been registered against the offenders in a chronological order since January 2021 onwards”. 

“The Collectors of Puri, Ganjam, Kendrapara and Khurda will by the next date file updated status reports by way of affidavits on the action taken to remove the illegal prawn gheris in their respective districts”, the Bench also directed.