Environmentalist oppose projects close to Chilka lake

Puri, Oct 26 (UNI)Noted environmentalist Jagannath Bastia has raised strong protest over the ongoing illegal constructions along the ecologically sensitive Chilika lake within the no construction zones.

Mr.Bastia,also a member of the state coastal zone management authority,has urged the union ministry to intervene in the matter and stop all illegal construction within the coastal regulation zone of the Chilka Lake.

He alleged that the Orissa Tourism development Corporation (OTDC) was building a restaurant close to the lake while the Krushnaprasad Panchyat samittee was developing a market complex inside the prohibited area.

The Satpara Yatri nivas too was constructed flouting the crz norms,Mr.Bastia alleged.

He regretted that a high level meeting presided over by Orissa Assembly Speaker Maheswar Mohanty at Satpada on September12 last decided to complete the on going constructions as early as possible and take up new constructions in the prohibited zones of Sipakuda, Bhabakundaleswar,Bankijal and other tourist interested spots in the lake to promote tourism.

The state housing board,Mr.Bastia said had also agreed to develop some business facilities in the no construction zones of the lake.

Mr.Bastia decried the resolutions of the high level meeting on tourism development in the lake and said these would destroy the natural beauty and ecology of the lake.

The flora and fauna of the lake,he said would be subjected to human abuse thus killing the natural habitats of the creatures so also the ecologically fragile lake.

He urged chief minister Naveen Patnaik to scrap these projects to protect the lake from the massive abuse and to take actions against the CRZ violators.

Sources said the union ministry for environment and forest had directed the state government to initiate legal actions against the violators of CRZ norms for allowing illegal constructions in the prohibited area of the brackish water Chilika lake.

The letter stated that Chilika lake comes under the Coastal regulation Zone category III under which construction within two hundred meters of the lake was strictly prohibited.

UNI