The Chilika wetland spreads over more than one lakh hectares of area. The major areas in the lake are under crop and prawn cultivations. The importance of the wetland is due to rich bio-diversities of the lagoon.
Out of the total lagoon area of one lakh hectares, only 15.53 sqkm is declared as the Nalabana sanctuary, which is equivalent to 1,553 hectares and declared as protected areas or sanctuary since December 17, 1987 and the rest 8,447 hectares are under occupation of prawn cultivators, crop growers and fish harvesters. Due to faulty management, biodiversity of Chilika is deteriorating fast.
The purpose of declaring Chilika lagoon as no-flying zone is that the aero planes or airbuses and helicopter produce excessive sounds, which cause sound pollutions beyond reasonable limits.
The sounds are measured by decibels. The unreasonable sound beyond 100 decibels and above causes sound pollutions, which damages the biological function of certain sensitive animals and birds.
Even 60 decibels of sound harm the birds and mammals. We have a lot of residential birds and migratory birds in Chilika, which are scared due to excessive sound. Similarly, the sea mammals like Irrawadi Dolphins are frightened and the pregnant dolphins and also baby dolphins suffer the most. Again the Olive Ridley sea turtles are scared and their biological process gets affected. Hence, the range between helicopter and water level should be such that the noise pollutions do not affect the organisms of the lagoon.
Nobody is following the same. This is not the first time the helicopter or aero plane is flying over the Chilika or in the restricted areas of the Nalabana sanctuary.
As information reveals, previously such offences have been committed by the big sorts. Even now members of mechanised launches are doing it. No remedial measure is taken by the administration. The Government is allowing all kinds of eateries besides guest houses and rest houses on the boundaries of the lagoon, which are the mains sources of pollutions of water, air and earth. The spilling of oil from engine boats and launches is a common phenomenon of Chilika.
The prawn gheris are more dangerous than anything else. The gheree owners use chemically prepared feeds, fungicides and insecticides for culture of prawns. This spoils the natural quality of soil, water and air of the lagoon which is far more dangerous than the sound pollutions.
The prawn cultivations are the economic exploitations of Chilika lagoon, where the State administration is paralysed.
If a helicopter lands at the edge of a prohibited area, like sanctuary, national park and tiger project, can it be a considered an offence? Can it be booked under the provisions of Orissa Forest Act 1972 and Wild Life Protection Act 1972, while landing or taking off?
There are 223 sq km of island area inside the Chilika wetland, which is known as lagoon. Here, there are 132 fisher men villages consisting of 12, 363 families.
They have no route to come outside. If anybody of the island uses a helicopter or somebody goes to the island by air, can he be booked for violating the laws of low flying zone and disturbing the bio-diversities of Chilika lagoon. If a helicopter is used for shifting of a patient from one of these islands and used as ambulance, can it be considered an offence? If the motive is good and fair, there is no offence. Again, if the entry of a helicopter is accidental and inevitable, it should also be not considered an offence.
If the whole scenario of Chilika is scrutinized not even an inch of land of the lagoon is seen to be safe and undisturbed, due to constant interferences of man. Even the Nalabana sanctuary area is not spared. Regular poaching of birds is going on and they are served in the street hotels and motels of highways.
The polythene, chemical and oil pollutions are rampant in the lake. There are staff of the State Forest Department for general protection and management of the lagoon covering one lakh hectares of land, including the Nalabana sanctuary. There are staff of Chilika Development Authority (CDA), who patrol the whole lagoon. The forest officers are also deputed to CDA.
The Orissa Forest Act 1972, the Environmental Protection Act 1986, the Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972 and their related rules and allied subjects have empowered the forest officers to book the cases against the offenders and to prosecute them for trial in the court of law.
The local police as well as the local Magistrates have also been empowered to book forest cases and to send the prosecution reports for trial.
For the first time, the writer in his lifetime heard that the forest case has been handed over to police for investigation in the matter of a helicopter flying in Chilika lagoon.
It is strange how the police took up the case, which should be normally done by the forest staff. How a police officer can know the things of forest lands. Chilika is a forest land. The forest officers are specially training and educated on the line. So, the special laws like Odisha Forest Act and Wild Life (Protection) Act are promulgated to deal with the offenders.
(The writer is a former forest officer and environmentalist, who lives at Plot – 479, Sailashree Vihar, Bhubaneswar, Mob- 9937460649, nadiya.kanungo@gmail.com )