Prior to chief minister, Mamata Banerjee’s possible visit to Murshidabad district early next week, the land department officials today took stock of the current status of wetlands at Behrampore municipal town, sources said.
The officials said that they inspected some choked wetlands of the town and engaged workers to remove filth from some outlets of water-bodies which are said to be crucial to the town’s drainage system. The land officials’ move to better things with the wetlands, either choked naturally or otherwise, assumes significance on several counts.
Miss Banerjee, during her administrative meeting at Behrampore, may ask district officials for clarification regarding host of allegations that cropped up recently against racket of mafias responsible for filling up of ponds and wetlands by unethical means. It appears that the issue of urban areas’ drainage affected by bad wetlands may turn out to be an acid test for the ruling Trinamool Congressparty during the upcoming municipal elections.
The urbanites nursing grievances against the so called custodians of the city’s wetlands came to the fore following a save-wetland movement recently. The civil society movement, allegedly backed by forum of the Left parties, snowballed into agitation prompting police intervention. Some agitators, who had claimed themselves to be peaceful protesters, were also arrested.
Subsequently, a lawsuit was filed citing illegal filling of wetlands. The public interest litigation is now pending with the Calcutta High Court, sources said.