Kendrapara: A team of Bhitarkanika forest personnel led by assistant conservator of forest Pradosh Kumar Pattnaik, with the help of local executive magistrate and police demolished 146 prawn gheries in the last 48 hours.
The gherries were set up at six coastal villages under Rajnagar block in 55 acres of private land under Kanika forest range by violating Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) guidelines, said Khirod Kumar Behera, tehsildar-cum-magistrate of Rajnagar.
According to Behera, as many as 146 gherries that were set up at Rajendranagar, Rajeswarinagar, Sailendranagar, Kanaknagar, Krushnanagar and Baghua villages were demolished as the gherry owners had violated the CRZ guidelines and pollution control norms.
As per the CRZ Act, nobody should construct a gherry within 500 metres from the coast. Apart from this, to set up prawn gherries in one’s private land, one has to apply for permission at the district collector’s office. Later, the collector sends the application to the Aquaculture Authority of Chennai for permission to set up a prawn farm in private land. The person has to obtain permission before constructing a gherry on his land. About 400 prawn gherries were illegally set up from Talachua to Lalitapatia by violating CRZ guidelines.
The forest personnel, with the help of police and Rajnagar tehsildar, are going to continue the drive against illegal prawn gherries, forest officials said. PNN