Deal with environmental problems with an open mind, says Sovan

Sovan Chatterjee, state Environment minister on Monday urged environmentalists to deal with any problem with an open mind and come up with solutions keeping in mind the larger interest of people.

"I am ready to all kind of discussions and dialogues but I expect the environmentalists and researchers to address any problem with an open mind," he said. He was speaking at a programme organised by the state Pollution Control Board (PCB) in the auditorium of Power Development Corporation Limited (PDCL) at Salt Lake this morning. The programme was held in connection with the World Environment Day celebration.

Referring to a proposed flyover connecting Eastern Metropolitan bypass with Biswa Bangla Sarani in New Town, he said, around 10 or 12 cottahs of land would be required to construct 146 pillars on the waterbody to give support to the flyover and the state government would create an alternative water body. "East Kolkata wetland comprises 12,000 hectare and out of that, only 8,000 square feet will be required to install the pillars and the state government will construct an alternative waterbody. The proposed flyover will reduce the time of travelling from Nabanna to Kolkata airport. But some environmentalists without going into the details of the project, have begun criticising it. I am ready for discussion but they should come up with an open mind and try to understand the ground reality," he remarked.

He said the erstwhile state government had declared the East Kolkata wetland as Ramsar site but while taking up the matter with the Centre and Ramsar authorities, they had ignored the ground reality and the present government faced hurdle to set up a water treatment plant and get a piece of land to set up a new dumping ground. "The former government should have taken into consideration the ground reality before declaring it as a Ramsar site," he pointed out.

Referring to his childhood he said: "We took lessons in swimming in ponds and now children are going to the swimming pools set up in various parts in the city." This is development. There will be waterbodies and construction will go hand in hand but keeping the ecological balance intact," he maintained. He said that the state government would not at all carry out any construction by filling up waterbodies.

He said the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will prepare a comprehensive solid waste management plant for Kolkata at an estimated cost of Rs 3,000 crore and has approached Asian Development bank (ADB) for funds.

PCB on Monday felicitated singer and environmental activist Pratul Mukhopadhyay, Kamal Mukherjee who had planted 10 lakh trees in Bandowan block in Purulia and physicist Debiprasad Duari.