CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Wednesday directed the State government to take concrete steps in a time bound manner to prevent illegal trawling in the prohibited zone at Devi river mouth. The court was hearing a PIL on the high mortality rate of Olive Ridley turtles along Odisha coast, especially Devi river mouth, a major mass nesting site for the endangered species. The court had suo motu registered the PIL on 23 February last year.
Amicus Curiae Mohit Agarwal had filed a report indicating continuance of illegal trawling activities in the area, for which the State government had filed a response. The division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice RK Pattanaik said, “The Amicus Curiae filed a report on the two incidents that have taken place under the jurisdiction of Astarang marine police station - one on December 26, 2021 and the other on January 31, 2022. During both incidents of the several trawlers that were encroaching into the area only a very few could be apprehended.”
The bench observed, “Although a response has been filed by the State government to the report on March 7, by and large admitting to the above facts, concrete steps that should be taken for preventing such incidents in future has not been indicated.” The Amicus Curiae pointed out more than 50 pc of the posts in all the marine police stations are vacant.