RESTORE THE WETLANDS TO IMPLEMENT " WISE USE " SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Conservation Measures: The NGT (National Green Tribunal) has ordered the EKWMA to install high-mast steel signages to mark the boundaries and prevent encroachment. The state is framing "wise use" plans to manage the area, including proposals for eco-tourism.

Ecological Significance: The EKW remains the world's largest wastewater-fed aquaculture system and is essential for the city's, acting as both a "kidney" (natural sewage treatment) and "lung" (carbon sink). 

East Kolkata Wetlands Management Authority should implement Recent Management Actions (2021-2025) plan

Boundary Demarcation: The EKWMA has initiated the installation of permanent, indestructible pillars to mark the boundary.

Legal Action: The Calcutta High Court has barred the state from allowing new constructions, and all NGT cases were disposed of in 2021-2022.

Management Plan: The 2021-2026 Management Action Plan is in place, focusing on restoring the natural, sewage-fed ecosystem. 

S M Ghosh , Environmentalist