NGT bans music, DJs in Sunderbans

NGT bans music, DJs in Sunderbans, KOLKATA: The National Green Tribunal (NGT), Eastern Zone Bench, on Tuesday, banned the use of music systems by tourists in the Sunderbans. The bench of Justice S P Wangdi and Prof P C Mishra also forbade disc jockeys from performing during launch parties within the mangrove forests. The principal secretaries of the environment, home and panchayat

affairs departments as well as the district magistrate and superintendent of police of South 24-Parganas have also been directed to ensure that adulterated fuel is not used by launches and no plastic is dumped anywhere.

While there has been some awareness among boatmen, tour operators and forest officials on plastic and the dumping of styrofoam plates and glasses in the rivers and creeks, loud parties continue to be a problem. Groups of tourists often anchor their launches midstream after dark, switch on all lights, play loud music and party till late in the night. At times, the launches are on the move while such parties are on, making it more difficult for forest department officials to intercept them.

"This is the tourist season and the authorities will have to take all steps to ensure that their entry into the Sunderbans does not adversely effect the ecology and environment," the bench directed. The NGT also expressed its displeasure with the attitude of the state government regarding directions passed on the Sunderbans. The bench remarked that it is seriously considering contempt as the chief secretary is yet to submit a report on the situation within the mangrove forest.The NGT had taken up the matter suo motu after going through reports published in The Times of India on degradation of the Sunderbans. The bench had then appointed environment activist Subhas Datta as the amicus curiae. He had visited the Sunderbans and reported back to the bench with photographs.

One of the contentious issues that came up was the manner in which the state-run Sajnekhali Tourist Lodge is being able to operate. The lodge was set up in 1988 but the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) granted it a Consent to Operate certificate only on July 14, 2015 despite there being no consent . This was valid till March 31, 2016. After Datta pointed out that the WBPCB has withdrawn all consents issued to private lodges, the bench wanted to know why it had acted in such a discriminatory manner.

WBPCB officials have also been directed to visit all 173 hotels and lodges in the Sunderbans and take stock of their year of establishment, licence if any, date of Consent of Establish, Date of Consent to Operate, Coastal Regulatory Zone clearance and whether they are still open.

In another application moved by Datta, the NGT directed the chief secretary, industry secretary and other senior officials of the state and Centre to be personally present for a meeting with the bench and applicant on December 7 over the issue of supply of green fuel to Kolkata. The bench passed this direction after coming to know that the state and Centre are at loggerheads on the issue of supply of CNG.