The Orissa High Court on Wednesday accepted a proposal
submitted by Amicus Curiae Mohit Agarwal for deployment of drones to monitor illegal prawn culture ponds (gheries) encroaching wetlands
in at least four coastal districts of the State.
“A Division Bench headed by Chief Justice S Muralidhar
has accepted my proposal and directed the State Government to provide necessary infrastructure and funds to deploy drones for monitoring the gheries, which are coming up even within 24 hours of their demolition by the authorities,” Agarwal said.
The districts in which the drones will be deployed are Baleswar, Kendrapada, Puri and Ganjam; and the Government has been asked to submit an affidavit in this regard by the next date of hearing on December 5, he said.
The Amicus Curiae had made the proposal for deployment of drones after it was revealed from different affidavits made by the district administrations that physical deployment of police force is unable to check the re-emergence of dismantled gheries.