Wetlands get protection

Kironmoy Nanda: Befriending fi

The West Bengal
Assembly has adopted legislation barring
the filling up of wetlands that exceed
0.035 ha in the state's
notified urban areas.
The ecological importance of these
wetlands artificialIy embanked areas
and naturally or artificially depressed
lands holding water
-has long been recognised. Large Klranmoy Nondo: Befriending
tracts of these wet-fishrfolk.
lands have been filled up in recent years by real estate
promoters with utter disregard for their ecological use.
The West Bengal Fisheries (Amendment) Bill, 1993,
states encroachment by builders and developers has
assumed alarming proportions. State fisheries minister
Kiranmoy Nanda emphasised the legislation was intended mainly to help fisherfolk by assisting them to set up
fishing cooperatives in the wetlands. These wetlands are
being filled now and they are to be confiscated, restored
to their original state and then handed over to cooperatives, who will pay a reasonable rent to the state.