Brief reporting on Sonai River/Khal in ... - India Water Portal

8 Serious efforts of
local people for
stopping illegal filling
of River
Observation of
District Judge
regarding existence
of Sonai Khal / River
Environment issued letter to the Secretary of CMDA on
4th August 2000 stating:
“River Sonai in fact used to feed Bagjola Canal which needs to
be drained so much.”
: Letter sent to the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court alleging
illegal filling of River at Panihati Municipal area which was
treated at Writ Petition in 1997 vide High Court reference
No. W. P. 31112 (W)/1997. The application was disposed of
with a direction to the Panihati Municipal authority to oversee
the issue.
The order dated 09/01/1998 of Justice U.C. Banerjee and
Justice Ronojit Kumar Mitra of Hon’ble Green Bench directed
“The Municipality is directed to take appropriate steps in
accordance with law to maintain the environmental equilibrium
in the area in question, upon intimation to the Pollution Control
Board”.
In the same order the Hon’ble Bench also added
“The Chairman, Panihati Municipality, who is present in Court,
is directed to ensure, however, that the existing water body
should not be disturbed in any way whatsoever”.
This order has never been complied with and the local people
were further compelled to send letters to the Hon’ble Green
Bench and matter was again taken up by High Court in 2001.
There was a strong people’s movement in Barrackpore-
Titagarh area for recovery/resuscitation of River Sonai led by Sri
Khokan Ganguly and Sri Ganapati Sarkar during
______________.
Khokan Ganguly, residing at Barrackpore – Ph. No. 25600221 /
25400857
Janapati Sarkar residing at Ruia, P.O. Patulia – Ph. No. 2561 -
1821
It is worthwhile to mention here that Hon’ble District Judge had
submitted a report on 17/08/2001 before the Hon’ble High
Court after being asked by the Court to ascertain the existence
of Sonai Khal/River in terms of Court’s direction under W.P.
No.31112(W) /1997 dt.16/02/2001.
The Hon’ble District Judge in his report submitted to the
Hon’ble High Court confirmed the existence of Sonai Khal/River
which reads as follows :