The National Green Tribunal (NGT) took Suo Motu cognizance of the issue of rising sea level and erosion of beach in front of the Kapil Muni temple on Sagar Island.
The Petition is registered suo-moto on the basis of the news item appearing in the daily newspaper dated 15.01.2024.
The news discloses that the tidal surges and fast changing landscape of the Sundarban, achar land (land formed because of sediment deposit in the river) had formed near the Sagar Island and on account of the erosion of large stretch of the Island, the Ganga Sagar mela having National Fair status, is affected. The news item also reveals that most of the construction on Sagar Island has been done in violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone.
The news item raises substantial issue relating to compliance of provisions of the Scheduled enactments.
“Power of the Tribunal to take up the matter in suo-motu exercise of power has been recognized by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the matter of “Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai vs. Ankita Sinha & Ors.” reported in 2021 SCC Online SC 897.”
Hence, the Principal Bench of Justice Prakash Shrivastava , Dr. A Senthil Vel and Dr. Afroz Ahmad impleaded the following as respondents in the matter:
(i) West Bengal State Coastal Zone Management Authority, through its Member Secretary.
(ii) Director, National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management
(iii) District Magistrate, South 24 Parganas
Since the matter relates to the Eastern Zonal Bench, Kolkata , therefore , the Bench transferred the matter to the Eastern Zonal Bench for appropriate further action. Office is directed by the NGT to transfer the original record to the Eastern Zonal Bench and the matter is listed on 15.04.2024.