The Keral High Court ordered the State Government and the State Wetland Office (SWAK) to represent the Ashtamudi Wetland Management unit for the preservation of wetlands within two months of the announcement.
In addition, the integrated wetland management plan must be completed within six months. The direction of the bench of the chief judge Nitin Jamdar and justice Basant Balaji came when the court recently considered the litigation (Pil) against uncontrollable waste and interference with the wetlands of Ashtamudi, which in turn caused water pollution and destruction of mangrove forests. The second largest wetland in Kerala, Lake Ashtamudi, was marked in 2002 as Ramsar.
In the saw, Boris Paul, a lawyer and a hint foundation based in the perpendicular to the Court Directive to eliminate interventions and the creation of an independent monitoring committee, which constantly monitors measures to maintain the lake. The hygiene survey conducted by the Ceral Pollution Council (KSPCB) around the lake in 2020-2022 revealed serious health risks due to poor waste management. Open defecation around Ashtamudi contributed to the spread of water caused by water, while 18% of households released toilet waste directly into the water bod.
Hard
The Environment Committee report on the legislative assembly submitted on March 17, 2023 stated that the wetland of Ashtamudi faced severe pollution, interventions and siltac. Its area decreased from 61.40 km. KMS. 34 km, while its depth in many areas decreased to less than half a meter. Mangrovy and key fish farming almost disappeared, and the fishermen depending on this wetland were on the verge of losing their livelihood. Human waste, chemicals and untreated hospitals and commercial waste entered a wetland through the Kollam Canal. The accumulation of waste and plastics related to tourism and Neendakar, sand mining, unregulated housing and uncontrollable use of pesticides were also problems.
In 2023, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) imposed a state government punishment for 10 GBP for not approved lake Ashtamudi and other wetlands. Because no specific measures were taken, the petitioners filed a saw.
Two requirements
The Court stated that he quoted two requirements as necessary to maintain the wetlands of Ashtamudi-paid body consisting of various stakeholders and experts and on the site of a specific, scientific and comprehensive plan of proceedings. Both are not yet in a wetland. The Ramsar Convention emphasizes the need to have a reserved authority for each of the wetlands of international importance and the plan of administration specific to the place for it.
It is postponed that the court has also ordered that the standard operational procedure must be formulated by the Ashtamudi wetland management unit to control its functioning and at the same time specify modalities such as the venue, the frequency of its meetings and the mechanism for coordination between the parties. In addition, the unit must have its own website or a dedicated website hosted on the official SWAK website with feedback mechanism for the public. SWAK must develop digital feedback mechanism (web/social media) to record the general public/share sound materials.
Published – July 30, 2025 20:35
