Green tribunal rejects plea to hold Chhat at Rabindra Sarobar

Kolkata: The National Green Tribunal on Thursday rejected the plea of Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA), the custodian of Rabindra Sarobar for granting permission for Chhat puja in the Sarobar this year. The green bench upheld its previous order banning any such ritual there to save the environment and plethora of biodiversity in the Sarobar.

The green bench while rejecting the petition directed KMDA to take measures for implementing its earlier order of not allowing anyone on the premises of the lake on the occasion of Chhat Puja scheduled on November 20.

"We are planning to move the Supreme Court for reviewing the NGT order," said Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim, who is also the Chairman of KMDA.

Counsel appearing for KMDA pleaded that he devotees have been performing Chhat Puja at the Sarobar for decades and the authorities do not want to hurt their sentiments. He further stated that KMDA is ready to make foolproof arrangements for curbing the pollution and take necessary work for cleanliness soon after the puja is performed.

Last year KMDA had locked the gates of the Sarobar on the day of Chaat puja but thousands of devotees broke open the locks and entered the premises. There were aged persons, women and children among the devotees. "We are not a law enforcement agency and we cannot use force to stop so many people from entering the premises. We do not want a repeat of a similar situation this year so we had made the plea," said a KMDA official.

The KMDA in 2019 had undertaken a massive awareness campaign and had developed alternative infrastructure in 15 waterbodies

across the city so that the devotees can observe the puja rituals. But the devotees were adamant in observing the same at the sprawling Rabindra Sarobar.

Environmentalist Subhas Dutta said that KMDA cannot evade its responsibility to implement a court order by invoking religious sentiments and law and order issue.

In 2017, the NGT had allowed Chhat puja to be performed in the lake for that year only under certain regulations.

But since 2018, NGT has ordered a ban on any sort of puja or social activities in Rabindra Sarobar lake after there were numerous allegations from environmentalists and morning walkers about pollution of the waterbody, particularly while observing the rituals of Chhat puja.