Tena and Sena creeks in Olpad and Hansot taluka of Bharuch illegal shrimp farms (Photo: courtesy The Times of India)
Survey ordered to identify illegal shrimp farms in Olpad
INDIA
Monday, September 21, 2020, 15:00 (GMT + 9)
Surat: Following the order from the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the Surat district collector has ordered the survey and measurement of the shrimp farms constructed on the government land near the Tena and Sena creeks in Olpad taluka on Saturday.
The city-based Brackish Water Research Centre (BWRC) had filed a petition with the NGT’s Pune bench demanding the removal of the illegal shrimp farms, constructions, salt pans etc on the flood plains falling under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) and Critically Vulnerable Coastal Area (CVCA) of the Tena and Sena creeks in Olpad and Hansot taluka of Bharuch.
BWRC has alleged that hundreds of illegal shrimp farms have been constructed after cutting mangroves in large scale and levelling of the land. This has destroyed the Tena and Sena creeks and its sub-creeks, it added.
Photo: courtesy indianexpress.com
The NGT, in its hearing on August 24, 2020, had issued notices to the ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MOEFCC), forest and environment ministry of Gujarat government, Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB), state fisheries commissioner, irrigation department and the Surat collector to submit their replies within six weeks.
Talking with TOI, president of BWRC, MHS Shaikh said, “The (Surat) district collector has ordered the measurement and survey of the government land in the CRZ and CVCA of Tena and Sena creeks. Once the survey is done, the administration would start the process of removing the illegal shrimp farms from the government land.”
Shaikh added, “Every year during the monsoon season, the low-lying villages of Olpad and Hansot get flooded due to heavy rains. This mainly because for the illegal shrimp farms bunds have been constructed to stop the flow of water from the creeks. This results in the floods in the villages. There are over 1,000 illegal shrimp farms on the government land in Olpad.”
Source: The Times of India (TOI)
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