Sovan to be chairman of East Kolkata wetlands management authority

Sovan Chatterjee, state Environment minister will be the chairman of the East Kolkata Wetlands Management Authority, according to the amendment to the East Kolkata Wetlands (Conservation and management) Act, 2006 tabled in the Assembly on Monday. The additional chief secretary, principal secretary of the secretary of Environment department will be the member secretary.

The other members of the authority are the additional chief secretary or principal secretary or secretary of the Land and Land Reforms and Refugee Relief and Rehabilitation department, the additional chief secretary or principal secretary or secretary fisheries department, the additional chief secretary or principal secretary or secretary forests department, the additional chief secretary or principal secretary or secretary of Panchayat and Rural Development department, the additional secretary or principal secretary or secretary of Irrigation and Waterways department, the additional chief secretary or principal secretary or secretary of tourism department and four experts are to be nominated by the state government each in the areas of wetland ecology, hydrology, fisheries and socio-economics.

Tabling the amendment, Sovan Chatterjee said the performance of the earlier authority was not upto the mark. Hence a new authority has been set up. It may be mentioned that Kolkata is the only metropolitan city to not have a sewer treatment plant because of the east Kolkata wetlands.