The wetlands and “PUBLIC”

Fish from farms is being transported in bundles to market

The wetlands and “Public”

In 1992, a case study on EKW was presented in the expert committee meeting of the Ramsar Convention and the site was declared as the only Indian case study on wise use of wetlands in a document published by the same name by the Ramsar Convention Secretariat, initiating the process of declaration of the site as a Wetland of International Importance. Thus, when the idea of establishing a World Trade Centre on the wetland was mooted in 1991, a group of non-government organizations, notable of which was ‘PUBLIC’ (People United for Better Living in Calcutta) filed a writ petition in the Calcutta High Court, asking directions of the state authorities to protect the wetlands and maintain their character, in particular, preventing their reclamation as well as change in land use from agriculture to residential or commercial uses. ‘PUBLIC’ was strongly against the urbanization of natural beauty, a predicament which plagues almost every country in the world today. The court ruled in favour of maintaining the overall environmental values of the wetland system and banned any conversion or changes in land use.

The East Kolkata Wetlands Management Authority

EKWMA is an authority formed under the State Legislation in 2006 as per the East Kolkata Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Act. It has been entrusted with the statutory responsibility for conservation and management of the EKW area. The main task of the authority is to maintain and manage the existing land use along with its unique recycling activities, for which the Wetlands has been included in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance during the Ramsar convention on Aug 19, 2002.

Celebration of World Wetlands Day in EKW