Hearing a public interest litigation, a division bench of Chief Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Jaymalya Bagchi directed that proper steps be taken to prevent waterlogging in those areas after the implementation of the projects.
The court also said the recommendations of the high-power committee constituted last year would have to be obeyed during implementation. The Calcutta High Court had constituted the committee in February 2012 to look into issues of wetlands in the area.
In 2009, Jalabhumi Bachao Committee filed a PIL alleging that the railway factory and Anmol City Project, a join venture project of the state government and two private companies, would be set up on 600 acres. The petition alleged that large areas of water bodies had been filled up illegally and sought the court’s intervention.
Also from the high court
Activist killing
Justice Dipankar Dutta adjourned the hearing on the killing of Tapan Dutta, general secretary of the Jalabhumi Bachao Committee, who had been allegedly killed in May 2011 for organising movements at Dankuni and Bally areas against Anmol City Project. Protima, wife of Tapan, approached the Calcutta High Court seeking a CBI investigation into the killing of her husband. The CID has already filed a chargesheet and trial is on at the Howrah court.
Teachers to return
The Calcutta High Court on Monday directed West Midnapore police to ensure that three teachers can resume work in a school at Keshpur, from which they were allegedly forced to leave because of political affiliations. Birendra Dandapat, Swadesh Singha, Somnath Paladi were allegedly forced to leave the village in May 2011 for after the Assembly election because they were Leftists.