Kolkata Blaze Exposes Illegal Wetland Development, 27 Feared Dead
Image Source: Internet
A devastating fire on January 26 at two warehouses on the outskirts of Kolkata has claimed at least 27 lives, with 21 body parts recovered so far. Investigations reveal that the warehouses, owned by Pushpanjali Decorators and leased to Wow! Momo, were built on the protected East Kolkata Wetlands (EKW), a Ramsar site designated in 2002. According to local officials, no construction is allowed on the EKW, where the warehouses were constructed without permission. "The panchayat didn't give any permission to the two warehouses. They have come up illegally," said Prasanta Biswas, Sonarpur panchayat samiti secretary. The East Kolkata Wetland Management Authority (EKWMA) has been struggling to secure the 12,500-hectare landscape, which is now strewn with encroachments. The authority has been attempting to monitor the area with only two staff members. Environmental activists have pointed out that the two warehouses are not the only ones built on the protected wetlands. Between 2007 and 2021, at least 358 cases were registered for unauthorized constructions, filling up water bodies, and attacks on government officials visiting the wetlands. The government has urged people to lodge formal complaints against unauthorized structures. State environment minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said, "Investigation is going on. If anyone thinks that unauthorized buildings have been constructed on the wetlands, he should lodge a complaint.
