The eastern zonal branch of the National Green Tribunal has asked the state chief secretary and the district magistrate of Howrah to state by August 27 what actions have been taken to evict encroachers from around Santragachhi Jheel.

“We direct the chief secretary of West Bengal as well as the district magistrate, How-rah, to file their affidavit… disclosing what action has been taken with regard to the eviction of the encroachers from Santragachhi Jheel by the next date fixed,” Justice B. Amit Sthalekar and expert member Saibal Dasgupta said in their order. The case will be heard again on August 27.

The order, passed on August 13 but could be accessed on Monday. The order followed a petition related to the pollution of the pollution in the 14 lakh square feet water body, filed by environmentalist Subhas Datta in 2016.

“The encroachers have to be evicted so that a drainage system may be installed to divert the sewage coming from surrounding locality that is now polluting the water body,” Datta said on Monday.

A recent report of the state pollution control board confirmed that Santragachhi Jheel had become extremely polluted and was actually no longer fit to harbour any wildlife and fish.

The order was passed after the South Eastern Railway, which owns the jheel, informed the tribunal that they had issued an eviction order against the encroachers after hearing the unauthorised occupants and informed the district magistrate for implementation of the eviction.

“We have sent several letters to the district magistrate’s office requesting them to carry out the eviction but have received little response so far,” said a senior railway official.

“We are yet to receive any directive (about the eviction); however now with chief secretary being asked to file affidavit, there may be some action,” said a district official.

The state government has a policy of not enforcing any mass eviction without rehabilitation.