The eastern zone bench of the National Green Tribunal has recently formed a committee to probe the alleged violation of construction norms on the Digha coast and sought the report by end-August. Environmentalist Subhas Datta had lodged the complaint.
The order was issued in end-July, a copy of which is with The Plurals.
“We are in the process of forming the committee as per the tribunal order,” a senior official of the environment department told this reporter on Friday under which the coastal zone management authority operates. The tribunal has made state coastal zone management authority as the nodal body of the committee.
The West Bengal Coastal Zone Management Authority, empowered to clear projects within coastal areas and concerned governmental agencies claim that the constructions have taken place according to norms but the bench seemed to disagree prima facie.
“There is a serious dispute with regard to the constructions which are shown in (some of) the photographs …The stand of the West Bengal State Coastal Zone Management Authority and the Purba Medinipur district magistrate is that this construction is within the coastal regulation zone (CRZ) -II and is permissible. Affidavits further state that the constructions are temporary in nature. However, photographs prima facie speak otherwise,” observed the bench constituted by Justice B. Amit Sthalekar and expert member Arun Kumar Verma.
According to the Union Environmental Act, CRZ-II zone is referred as the area “that have already been developed up to or close to the shoreline … within the municipal limits or in other legally designated urban areas which is already substantially built up …”
As per law “…Buildings shall be permitted only on the landward side of the existing road ... or on the landward side of existing authorised structures” within CRZ-II areas. It is alleged that the provision has been flouted in case of the recent constructions close to the Digha coast.
Subsequently, the bench ordered the formation of a committee comprising a senior scientist of the West Bengal Pollution Control Board; a senior scientist of the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management based in Chennai; a senior representative of West Bengal State Coastal Zone Management Authority and the Purba Medinipur district magistrate or his nominee not below the rank of additional district magistrate.
“The committee shall visit the site in question and submit its report particularly with regard to the photographs which have been filed along with the q,” stated the bench.
Dheusagar amusement park under the scanner
The bench has asked the probe committee to particularly look into two constructions — an amusement park being developed on the sea beach at Dheusagar and a big three-storied building constructed near the Jagannath temple — both related to tourism.
“The amusement park at Dheusagar, a tourist attraction, has been recently developed by Digha Sankarpur Development Authority almost on the sea beach with several concrete structures, an act being prohibited by coastal regulation zone law; under the façade of beach front beautification,” alleged Datta.
“The particular site … had full green cover earlier with thousands of trees … It will be crystal clear from the images of Google Earth that in place of casuarina forest (jhaw ban) of Digha … concrete jungle is developed” reads the petition of the green activist who attached satellite photographs of the area from 2016 to 2022; further claiming that the continuation of vegetation is critical to save Digha township from flooding.
“We have taken requisite permissions; the constructions are critical for developing tourism in the area as well as supporting livelihood of locals,” said a senior official of the Digha Sankarpur Development Authority.