The Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA), the custodian of Rabindra Sarobar, issued verbal instructions to the Calcutta Entertainment Club Foundation (CECF) on Monday to stop work at night for developing a 5-bigha land parcel rented out to the company for setting up a celebrity cricket ground. The agency had been carrying out development work on the ground at night since last week.
CECF is an entertainment company led by a few film celebrities.
In May, morning walkers, environment activists and birders had earlier opposed the KMDA’s decision to rent out the land within the Rabindra Sarobar premises to CECF.
The land under the scanner is on the left side of the lake after one enters the lake compound through gate number 8, off the road that goes towards the Lake Gardens flyover after crossing Southern Avenue.
KMDA issued the instructions after environmentalists raised a hue and cry that the ground development work, undertaken with a JCB machine with strong lights and loud noise, would severely impact the green zone; a national lake, thereby affecting trees, birds, and other biodiversity. The green crusaders shot off a complaint to the police as well as the KMDA with incriminating video clips and photographs.
“We have received complaints of environmental violation owing to the work undertaken at night. Prima facie, it seems looking at the video that the work might have impacted the green zone and hence, we have instructed the company to stop work from tonight,” a senior KMDA official told this reporter on Monday evening.
“We have received instructions and there will be no work from tonight,” said Sourav Das, a film actor and one of the directors of the company, on Monday evening. The entity is a private not-for-profit company incorporated in India on June 23, 2023; and has film personalities in the role of directors. The organisation identifies ‘social work’ as its activity in the company profile.
Das said they would henceforth only continue work around noon, beyond the hours when the morning and evening workers are scheduled to come within the lake area.
Murder of green lungs; violations alleged
“This is as good as murdering the green lungs of south Kolkata; and severely affecting the local biodiversity. I filed a complaint to the Rabindra Sarobar police station with accompanying video and photographs,” said environmentalist S.M. Ghosh, also a regular morning walker at the Lakes.
The activist referred to “tree cutting and lush green land destruction by diesel operated heavy construction equipment … during night hours” in his complaint.
“This is also a violation of the earlier National Green Tribunal order that restricted the Indian Super League (ISL) football matches in the adjoining stadium at night and as well as the KMDA’s order to CECF while giving out the rent that no activity should be held during the night,” pointed out a representative of green platform Sabuj Mancha, which plans to write to the chief minister and move court, if required, opposing KMDA’s decision. Many morning walkers are also opposing the move.
“We have recently seen in reports that Kolkata has least green spread and highest concretisation within the metropolitan cities. We have also seen how the record-breaking heatwave affected the city; as the green verge is receding. It is strange that instead of increasing the greenery and perhaps setting up an urban forest in the land promoting biodiversity; it has been handed over to an entertainment organisation,” said Naba Dutta, secretary of green platform Sabuj Mancha.
“This is an eco-sensitive region and the work, in the name of setting up a cricket academy, continued throughout the day. I have raised the issue with the appropriate authority, and hope that they will take some actions soon,” said environmentalist Subhas Datta, who earlier moved court against environmental violations in Rabindra Sarobar.
Fears misplaced, a green spread to come up
“The allegation and apprehension of those opposing the projects is misplaced. The area was lying as an abandoned spread with unkempt grass and the land has been rented out maintaining all norms,” said a senior KMDA official.
Documents available with The Plurals show that nearly 5 bighas of land was handed over to CECF on a rental basis for utilisation as a playground on March 15, 2023; and the given conditions bar any permanent or temporary construction in the area. The total rental period is 10 years but KMDA reserves the right to terminate the agreement at any time.
“The area has about 30 trees and not even one will be felled. Moreover, the permission is only for the duration from 6am to 6pm so that birds do not get affected by light and sound in the evening; and, all National Green Tribunal orders regarding the lake will have to be maintained,” said the official reminding that land has been given to several other organisations earlier to run similar cricket camps following same norms.
The official further pointed out that as per the project proponents, once the ground development completes, the ground would be lush green embedded with special type grass and trees on all sides. “We plan to build it reminiscent of county grounds in England,” said a representative of CECF.
“We gave the permission to work for a few evenings, as the project proponents wanted to finish the ground development before the monsoon sets in fully. That might have been a mistake and we withdrew the permission,” accepted the official.
“It’s an issue of environmental ethics. A city, gripping with climate change - triggered record temperature rise as we are observing now mainly due to less green cover, should make all the efforts to add green wherever possible especially in a space like Rabindra Sarobar. The opposite is not acceptable, KMDA should review its decision,” said a climate expert.
KMDA officials tried to allay the fears, assuring that all safeguards have been taken to protect the environment.