Kendrapara, March 10: Illegal prawn farming has taken over nearly 400 acres of government land in a blatant violation of forest and environment protection laws in Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary.
Kendrapara district administration officials have also acknowledged that unauthorised prawn farming takes place within the sanctuary limits and that prawn dykes have been raised illegally on government land.
Both state and central laws prohibit such man-made interference in territorial jurisdictions of the wildlife sanctuaries. The administration, in response to a Right to Information (RTI) application moved by environment activist Biswajit Mohanty, admitted that 377.76 acres of government land have been taken up for illegal prawn farming in nearly 19 human settlements within the sanctuary. Around 356 prawn dykes have also come up in government land in villages in Rangani, Talchua, Righagarh and Gupti revenue circles. Rangani gram panchayat accounts for maximum encroachment upon government land, with 241 such dykes functioning there.
Apart from the sanctuary areas, prohibited territories of the coastal regulation zone (CRZ) have also been encroached upon. Environmentalist Biswajit Mohanty alleged that people were flouting the law in broad daylight while the district administration and forest department had turned a blind eye to it.
Moreover, land-grabbers and prawn mafias have infringed on the state's land encroachment act. The revenue department is empowered to evict them and start criminal cases against them while forest officials can also demolish the dykes.
The earthen dykes erected for prawn farming act as a barrier in the smooth flow of tidal water, and this has led to neighbouring crop fields being inundated.
Besides, the use of chemicals in the dykes causes considerable damage to the flora and fauna of the region.
Orissa High Court had earlier ordered demolition and dismantling of all illegal prawn cultivation structures (locally known as dykes) in the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary. Ironically, the state government had, in an affidavit submitted to high court, claimed to have demolished the dykes in the prohibited areas.
However, since prawn business is very lucrative, several dykes are alleged to have been constructed again.
"The forest department is intent on clearing encroachment and any form of human activity within the forest area. We have demolished the dykes in the past and reclaimed the land for mangrove regeneration programme. There would be constant watch by the departmental mobile squads to ensure that the prawn dykes do not spurt again," said divisional forest officer Rajnagar mangrove (wildlife) forest division Bimal Prasanna Acharya.
Kendrapara collector Debraj Senapati said the Rajnagar tehsil had been directed to evict the squatters and initiate legal action against the encroachers.
