NGT directs authorities to demolish hotel constructed in Sundarbans

The National Green Tribunal has directed authorities in West Bengal to demolish a hotel constructed in Sundarbans in violation of environmental normsThe tribunal was hearing a matter pertaining to the permissibility of a hotel construction in Sundarbans for which the West Bengal State Coastal Zone Management Authority WBCZMA had raised objectionsA bench of Chairperson Justice A K Goel said Sundarbans was a critically vulnerable coastal area CVCA under the coastal regulation zone notifications and no construction was permissible in a CVCAWe uphold the stand of WBCZMA and declare the constructions made by the project proponent to be illegal A joint committee of WBSCZMA district magistrate and senior superintendent of police SSP may ensure the demolition of illegal constructions and restoration of the area within three months from today the bench also comprising Justices Sudhir Agarwal and B Amit Sthalekar along with expert member A Senthil Vel saidAlso read Supreme Court refuses to grant relief to Rapido against denial of licence in MaharashtraThe bench noted that mangroves protect life and property by obstructing strong winds and tidal actionsMangroves provide important ecosystem services for flood protection in coastal areas and also benefit the region economically and construction of concrete structures near the coast changes its geological characteristics and causes irreversible damage to the mangrove ecosystem it saidThe bench said the project proponent started construction in April 2019 illegally but sought post facto CRZ clearance for the first time in July 2021Referring to a 1996 judgment of the Supreme Court the bench underlined that the apex court had disapproved the reduction of no construction zone from 100 metres to 50 metres having regard to ecological consideration for the protection of the coastal areaThe tribunal also noted its earlier observations that said Sundarbans which is densely covered by mangrove forests is one of the largest reserves for the Bengal tigerhouses a large variety of birds reptiles and invertebrate species including the saltwater crocodilethe Sundarbans has been declared as a National Park and it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a designated Ramsar siteThe green panel also said there was an apprehension of areas close to the sea being affected by climate change and so a suitable distance must be maintained from the sea for any constructionThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever