With the earth’s temperature slated to rise by 1.5
degrees C by 2025 amidst environmental degradation and increasing
pollution, all efforts need to be made to protect the environment by
desisting from activities which have led to the present situation, Judicial
Member of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), Kolkata, Justice B Amit
Sthalekar said on Saturday.
“If the earth’s temperature goes up with no effort to contain it, it will
trigger the melting of glaciers around the world causing the sea level to
rise and inundate coastal areas including cities like Mumbai and
Kolkata,” Justice Sthalekar said at the Odisha Environment Congress-
2022 held at Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA) in association with the NGT
and the Odisha State Legal Services Authority.
Pointing out that development is taking place at the cost of environment,
he said the NGT has directed action against construction of resorts on
the sea shore in violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ).
“Such construction was taking place right on the beach though the CRZ
rules don’t allow any activity within 500 metres of the High Tide Line.
It causes the beach to narrow down and makes the sea deep in that area
which leads to the destruction of the beach itself,” Justice Sthalekar, who
was the chief guest on the occasion, said.
NGT Expert Member, Kolkata, Saibal Dasgupta, who was the keynote
speaker, said 52.90MT of solid waste is generated in the country
annually of which plastic waste alone accounts for 5.6 MT. “About 78%
of the waste was collected of which only 25% was processed,” he said,
adding that the NGT is strictly enforcing the rules.