CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Monday expressed concern over the progress of demolition and eviction of illegal prawn farms in Chilika lake and held that there was an apparent need of a special task force (STF) to deal with the situation.
The Court took note of the affidavit of Chilika Development Authority (CDA) which indicated the extent of illegal prawn culture when the suo motu PIL was registered in 2017 for restoration of the wetland along with present status of encroachment.
The division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice BP Routray asked the State government to file an affidavit as to why a special task force should not be formed to deal with the menace of illegal prawn farms in Chilika.
Amicus Curiae Mohit Agarwal said the bench fixed March 18 as next date for hearing on the matter along with the government’s reply. In the affidavit, Chief Executive of CDA Susanta Nanda said since the beginning of the case, illegal prawn culture had been evicted from around 15,163.61 hectare (ha). Illegal prawn culture had during this period increased in 2,182 ha. Consequently, prawn gheris in 12,131.78 ha still remain to be evicted, he said.
The affidavit said the high level committee constituted for the purpose had decided to take up controlled blasting on an experimental basis by exercising due cautions and observing all due procedures for demolition of the earthen embankments of illegal prawn gheris / ponds by the district administrations of Puri, Ganjam and Khurda.
If the experiment is successful then the same can be increased to prevent reconstruction of the earthen prawn gheris. The committee also decided to take up demolition of newly constructed net gheris in Khurda and Puri district. All the three collectors had been instructed to take necessary steps to disconnect the electricity supply to the illegal prawn culture ponds, the affidavit stated.
The committee 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. The committee advised to explore the possibility of initiating criminal cases against the main offenders funding and taking up extensive cultivation, the affidavit further said.