World Environment Day Kolkata Environmentalists Share Crucial Ecological Wishlist for New Bengal Government
On World Environment Day, prominent environmental experts and activists from Kolkata voiced their urgent demands and policy recommendations for the newly formed government in West Bengal, stressing that gradual reform is no longer enough to combat ecological degradation. Highlighting critical vulnerabilities across the state’s natural ecosystems, experts pointed out that colonial-era roots of resource exploitation have left vital habitats severely threatened. Naba Dutta, secretary of the NGO Sabuj Mancha, joined other specialists like Dasgupta to emphasize the critical need for science-based interventions and increased government spending to protect threatened rivers, canals, reservoirs, groundwater, and the East Kolkata Wetlands, which act as the city’s “kidneys”. Activists warned that failing to secure these water resources will cause critical socio-economic damage and directly dismantle the livelihoods of local farmers and fisherfolk.
The environmental roadmap also outlines aggressive measures needed for urban planning, waste management, and industrial regulation. Dutta strongly criticized the statewide trend of prioritizing immediate tree felling for developmental projects without preservation attempts, calling instead for well-planned, sturdy sapling plantation strategies that can provide genuine shade and survive severe storms. Additionally, Punyasloke Bhadury from IISER Kolkata targeted solid waste management as a major crisis requiring attention across all areas, while urging priority conservation for the Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem due to its global ecological significance and its value to the state’s carbon credit economy. Finally, activists flagged a steady rise in air pollution caused by a lack of robust vehicle and fuel policies, while demanding strict regulatory enforcement against polluting industries, including sponge iron plants and ferroalloy units, that currently emit hazardous pollutants without hindrance.
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