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

Law is born out of social, economic and political causes.
stream for the purpose of reclaiming land or for supporting,
repairing or protecting the bank or bed of such stream provided
such materials are not capable of polluting such stream;
(c) putting into any stream any sand or gravel or other
natural deposit which has flowed from or been deposited by
the current of such stream;
(d) causing or permitting, with the consent of the State
Board, the deposit accumulated in a well, pond or reservoir to
enter into any stream.
(3) The State Government may, after consultation with, or on
the recommendation of, the State Board, exempt by
notification in the official Gazette, any person from the
operation of sub-section (1) subject to such conditions, if any,
as may be specified in the notification and any condition so
specified may by a like notification and be altered, varied or
amended.
The stretch of water bodies popularly known to be portion of Sonai River can easily take a shape of clear
watercourse if bits of connecting roads, portion of buildings encroaching the course and garbage filled
areas are wished out with one’s imagination.
Destruction of River Sonai started long back when the destructors had no specific motivation. Then it
happened somewhat sporadically. There was no organized force of violators with connection in high
places including the local law enforcing authorities and no explicit purpose of money making.
In the recent years these destructions have been undertaken by a vicious band of violators of law, to be
specific, real estate developers who are carrying out real estate business on River Sonai and making
quick money. It may be mentioned here that continuous influx of refugees from Bangladesh and other
immigrants from Assam and Tripura have made the land price rocketing very high. To meet the
demand of land Sonai is chosen to be soft target by these evil real estate developers because Sonai has
nobody to look after her interest. She played the role of a water passing channel in the vast region of
Barrackpore Sub-Division. It is worth mentioning here that circumstantial evidences will prove that the
local Municipalities instead of protecting Sonai have themselves are hands in gloves with these
promoters. In this connection a press write-up of The Statesman dated 05/03/1994 is relevant.
In this connection we would like to cite an ancient Chinese Proverb
“Rivers are like the mouth of infants – the more you try to stop them the more they shout. And if you
apply force, they die.”
River beds are the genesis of our ancient civilization. The entire green planet is very much dependent
upon the wholesomeness of water. In our early religious rituals, water was worshipped as a God or