filled up to make way for road connecting buildings with throughfare
Pradip Chatterjee
pchatterjee@thestatesman.net
Kolkata, 31 July
A huge water body off Eastern Metropolitan bypass has been filled up to facilitate construction of roads connecting various private housing complexes with the main thoroughfare. This is despite chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s repeated pleas for stringent measures against those filling up waterbodies. 
Police have not been able to identify those responsible for filling up almost 30 feet of the 40-feet wide waterbody, though the Pragati Maidan police station is located at a distance of just 200 meters from the venue. 
Locals have registered a complaint with the police and have demanded that the Kolkata Municipal Corporation take immediate steps to save the water body. 
A private construction company which has its office in Topsia allegedly began filling up the water body by dumping solid waste. Residents of the area said the water body was used for pisciculture, bathing and washing. 
The civic body used to clean water bodies in the area from time to time. However, over the past few years, it has sold large plots to private builders for the construction residential buildings.  
Members of Hatgachia Basti Unnayan Samiti were among the first to notice the malpractice and reported the matter to Sabuj Mancha. A team from the Mancha was sent to the spot and they found that a portion of the water body near Hatgachia-I, adjacent to the wall of Milan Mela premises near Gate No 4, was being filled up, apparently to facilitate road-widening. A conglomeration of environmental organisations, including Disha and Sabuj Mancha, then surveyed the area. A senior police officer said they had begun investigating the matter.
Mr Subrata Seal, Director General, Project Management Unit, KMC admitted the pond is being filled up. "It was filled up illegally. A compliant has been filed under The West Bengal Town & Country (Planning & Development) Act, 1979. Action will be taken against the accused," he said.
Mr Sasanka Dev, Secretary, Disha, said, "Another water body faces threat of encroachment, as developers are planning to construct a wall through it to identify their land.”