Protect Ramsar-notified Kolleru wetland system

MEFCC should proactively intervene to protect Ramsar-notified Kolleru wetland system from encroachments, especially chemicals-based aquaculture and ill-advised upstream projects

To
Shri Tanmay Kumar
SecretaryUnion Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change (MEFCC)

Shri Sushil KumarAwasthi
Director General of Forests
Union Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change (MEFCC)

Dear S/Shri Tanmay Kumar/ Awasthi,

I refer to my earlier letter of 17-7-2021 addressed to your Ministry (copy extracted below) and the previous correspondence on the subject, appealing to MEFCC for urgent intervention to protect the 

Ramsar-notified Kolleru wetland system from both individual encroachers polluting itswaterswith aquaculture based on chemicals, encouraged by political leaders and ill-advised projects taken up by AP authorities upstream of Kolleru.

In the past, the CEC, appointed on the basis of the apex court’s landmark judgement in the Godavarman case, visited the Kolleru wetland and in their report dated 20-3-2006, made several important recommendations to the apex court for conserving the unique wetland system. The apex court issued directions to your Ministry and the State authorities to proceed accordingly. 

Among the directions thus issued, in particular, the apex court ordered the State to remove all encroachments within the area statutorily notified as Kolleru Wildlife Sanctuary and report ‘the details of the actual beneficiaries of the illegal activities taken up in the area and the profit made by them from such activities.. and the details of the persons who are found to be involved in instigating or obstructing in implementation of the Hon’ble Court directions along with full details“Evidently, the concerned State authorities had not fully complied with the apex court’s directions nor had your Ministry exercised adequate oversight on those authorities. An environmental activist, Shri Mrutyumjaya Rao then filed a contempt petition before the apex court and the latter has since issued notices to the concerned authorities to respond. 
Meanwhile, the earlier State government undertook an ill-advised project involving the construction of a series of expensive barrages upstream of Kolleru that unduly interfere with the pattern of inflows into the water body, introducing changes in the quality of water that could have an adverse impact on the biodiversity  of Kolleru. My letter of 17-7-2021 referred to it. A 

petition has since been filed before the apex court by another environmentalist, Dr T Patanjali Sastry for protecting the wetland system from such ill-advised projects upstream of Kolleru. The root cause of the Kolleru problem is the lack of awareness on the part of the State authorities of the socio-economic value of wetland systems and their larger role in acting as “carbon sinks” for mitigating the adverse all-pervading climate effect that is overtaking the planet. 
An expert group constituted by the UK government under the chairmanship of the well-known economist, Dasgupta evaluated the economic value of biodiversity, including the biodiversity of wetland systems (

The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/602e92b2e90e07660f807b47/The_Economics_of_Biodiversity_The_Dasgupta_Review_Full_Report.pdf) provides a comprehensive coverage of this subject.

Nearer home, I refer to a landmark judgement pronounced by the NGT on 13-4-2022 (on petitions filed by me and the Paryavarana Parirakshana Sangham of Sompeta)) on the need to conserve the wetlands of Sompeta in Srikakulam district (AP) in particular and the wetlands in AP in general (https://thelifeindia.org.in/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/NGT-order.pdf). Though more than 2 years have elapsed, the AP State government is yet to comply with NGT’s directions, which indicates an overall lack of understanding on its part about the economic value of wetland systems and the losses that would accrue as a result of neglecting their conservation. 

Reverting to the all-round threats that have emerged against conservation of Kolleru, I earnestly feel that your Ministry, instead of acting as a passive spectator, needs to intervene urgently and persuade the State authorities not only to prevent influential persons encouraging encroachments over it for personal gains but also prevent the State Authorities from undertaking projects that could adversely impact the integrity of the wetland system. At present, there is no mechanism in place to monitor the vital parameters of water quality of Kolleru on scientific lines, necessary to understand the changes that the wetland system is undergoing both on account of anthropogenic interventions and other factors such as the changes in the Kolleru water level vis-a-vis the downstream sea water level. Such monitoring needs to be introduced by your Ministry in the case of all wetland systems.

In addition to enforcement of the wildlife protection legislation, the State is under an obligation to enforce the wetlands conservation rules. Though such progressive laws exist, the concerned State authorities are not allowed to enforce them strictly.

I may remind your Ministry that its primary responsibility lies in standing fully committed to Article 48A of the Constitution and the laws enacted in its pursuance. Your Ministry cannot therefore close its eyes to the threats that exist to wetlands in general and to Kolleru in particular. Additionally, India is a signatory to the Ramsar Convention for the protection of wetlands and, since Kolleru stands notified under that Convention, your Ministry has the additional responsibility of standing committed to it.I understand that a team from the CEC would be visiting Kolleru shortly at the instance of the apex court and I would appeal to you that the representative of MEFCC proactively intervenes, highlights the larger economic value of a wetland system like Kolleru, and the need to protect it in all respects.

Regards,

Yours sincerely,

E A S Sarma

Former Secretary to the Government of India

Visakhapatnam

My letter of 17-7-2021 addressed to MOEF for intervening urgently to protect the Ramsar-notified Kolleru wetland from both individual encroachers encouraged by political leaders and ill-advised projects taken up by AP authorities upstream of Kolleru
To
Shri R P GuptaSecretary
Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change (MEFCC)
Govt of India

Dear Shri Gupta,

Please refer to my letter dated 27-5-2021 on the need for the MEFCC to intervene urgently in the matter of conservation of the Kolleru Lake, which is a Ramsar site of unique ecological significance.

The AP state Government is rushing into setting up 3 barrages, 2 regulators and one outfall slice upstream of the Kolleru Lake, in the name of the “Krishna Kolleru Salinity Mitigation Project“,with the ostensible purpose of regulating the water inflows into the lake to “mitigate salinity”.
Kolleru has unique ecological significance and the lake supports a rich diversity of bioresources including migratory bird species. Before undertaking any project that changes the pattern of water inflows into the reservoir, it is imperative that a scientific study be carried out on the characteristics of the water (e.g salinity) that support its ecology and ensure that no changes are effected that disturb those characteristics. Of late, extraction of natural gas in the Krishna-Godavari basin has resulted in land subsidence that has an impact on the rate of drainage of water from the lake into the sea and on the overall salinity levels in the lake. This aspect also needs to be factored into such a scientific study. It appears that the decision to construct the six major projects at a huge cost to the public exchequer has been taken without such a study. If any such precipitate action is taken, it could endanger this unique Ramsar site, which the country cannot afford to lose. I would therefore urge upon you to intervene at the earliest and order a comprehensive 

environment impact assessment of the projects in question, taking into account the above mentioned aspects. Any delay in the MEFCC intervening in the matter may result in irreversible changes being introduced in the quality of water stored in the lake, which indirectly will have an adverse effect on the rich biodiversity it supports.

Regards,

Yours sincerely,

E A S Sarma

Former Secretary to the Government of India

Visakhapatnam