The Orissa High Court has directed the Collectors of four coastal districts to seek the services of the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) in Chennai for immediate satellite imagery proofing of unlawful aquaculture activities in and around the wetland sites of Chilika and Bhitarkanika National Park.

A division bench of Orissa High Court comprising Chief Justice Dr. S. Muralidhar and Justice B. P. Routray in the earlier hearing had expressed strong displeasure over the indifferent attitude of government agencies in ensuring ecological safety of the wetland sites.

The High Court’s directions had come in the wake of the apex court ruling in 2017 asking Odisha among other States to initiate steps for protection and conservation of wetland sites.

It is pertinent to note here that the HC had earlier taken suo motu cognizance for the restoration of fragile ecosystems of internationally acclaimed wetland sites in Chilika and Bhitarkanika, bearing the brunt of environmentally damaging illegal prawn farming. While the Chilika wetland site comes under the administrative jurisdiction of Puri, Khordha and Ganjam district, Bhitarkanika falls under the revenue and forest administration of Kendrapara district.

“The Court also directs each of the Collectors of Puri, Ganjam, Kendrapara and Khurda to immediately apply to the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management in Chennai and obtain satellite imagery of the areas in which the illegal shrimp/prawn farms and hatcheries are operating”, the division bench ruled.

The Collectors will place those satellite imagery maps before the Court to indicate the exact locations of such illegal farms and hatcheries, indicate the action that has been taken to remove such illegal farms and further confirm to the Court that all those sites have been re-visited on weekly basis thereafter to ensure the demolished farms and hatcheries have not reemerged. The status reports enclosing the satellite imagery maps and all of the above information will be made available before the next date of hearing with an advance copy to the learned Amicus Curiae to enable him to make his submissions thereon”, the HC ordered.

“The Court would like to see some real change in the ground in so far as meeting the target set by each of the District Collectors for demolition of the illegal prawn gheries (dykes). The demolition should be not only of the illegal prawn gheries but also of illegal prawn hatcheries”, the HC order maintained.

Each of the demolition actions must be video-graphed to show that not only have they been effectively demolished but all the equipment used have actually been seized and taken away from the site and detained in the custody of the authority concerned.

The Court directs that each of the status reports filed by the four Collectors will enclose pen drives/Compact Discs. containing the video-graphs of all the demolition actions along with their respective status reports being filed by the next date.

The raids conducted in the different districts are sporadic and not continuous. This gives enough time for the violators to regroup and revive their activities. Unless the raids to close down/demolish the illegal prawn gherries are conducted in secrecy, with promptitude and on a continuous basis, it will cease to be effective. The efforts would come to nothing if there is too much of a gap between two consecutive raids. In their presentations, each of the Collectors has assured this Court that they would increase the periodicity of the raids by the Special Task Forces (STFs) constituted for the purpose, the HC division bench ruled while posting the matter for further hearing on 23 September.