The Kerala High Court recently stated that it may soon constitute an Ashtamudi Local Wetland Authority for the management and conservation of Ashtamudi wetland [Adv. Boris Paul v. State of Kerala & Ors.]..A Division Bench of Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Basant Balaji observed that being a large wetland which has been notified as a Ramsar site, a site-specific monitoring authority would be necessary in addition to the existing State Wetland Authority. The Ashtamudi authority, once constituted, could function under the State level body. "Thus, considering that both, Ramsar Convention and the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017, emphasize the importance of a management plan, for large wetland such as Ashtamudi wetland, for the effective implementation of such management plan, it would be appropriate that a specific authority/committee is constituted. Apart from general supervision by the State Wetland Authority, specific attention through an authority/committee for Ashtamudi wetland is necessary. This Ashtamudi committee/authority could function under the supervision of the State Wetland Authority and comprise representatives from various departments and domain experts on the similar lines as State Wetland Authority, but with a specific focus on the Ashtamudi lake," the Court's order stated..This wetland is under threat from pollution and degradation.Kerala High Court.The order was passed on a plea moved by advocate Boris Paul highlighting the depletion and deterioration of the Ashtamudi wetlands due to various factors such as encroachment and pollution from drainage discharge, indiscriminate disposal of sewage, biomedical waste etc..The Court had previously ordered the removal of illegal encroachments on the shores of the Ashtamudi lake. This week, it reiterated its concerns regarding the site saying,"The condition of Ashtamudi land is admittedly a matter of concern. This wetland is under threat from pollution and degradation.".Opining that a specific agency would be necessary for implementing the management plan for Ashtamudi lake, the Court proposed the constitution of an Ashtamudi Local Wetland Authority/ sub-committee to work under the supervision of the State Wetland Authority. However, before proceeding further, the Court deemed it fit to seek information from the State regarding the status of the State Wetland Authority and of any integrated management plans for Ashtamudi wetland. .The Court directed the Principal Secretary of the Environment Department to finalise the composition of the Ashtamudi Local Wetland Authority and recommend one expert each from wetland ecology, hydrology, fisheries, landscape planning and socioeconomics, and two experts from wetland management, preferably with expertise relating to the Ashtamudi wetland. The Court also asked the Principal Secretary to let it know about the procedure by which the Authority would function and the manner in which it would report to the State Wetland Authority..[Read Order]
