Drones will be deployed for illegal prawn farms in Chilika lake.
The state government on Monday informed the Odisha high court that drones will be deployed soon for curbing operations of illegal pawn farms in Chilika lake..
In an affidavit,Puri collector and district magistrate Samarth Verma said drones will be used at least twice a week for aerial inspection and surveillance to check for illegal prawn gherries and their re-emergence after demolition.
Video footage from a Trial run of a drone camera conducted by the state government which captured the earthen embankment of illegal prawn gherkins in Chilika lake was also shown to the court.
The high court was taking stock of the re-emergence of illegal prawn gherkins - both earthen and net - even when there is patrolling,while hearing a public interest litigation(PIL),which waS registered in 2017.
The PIL,was registered suo motu in pursuance of a Supreme Court order for the restoration of ecology of two wetlands - Chilika lake and Bhitarkanika National Park.
On October 26 last year,amicus curiae Mohit Agarwal suggested drone surveillance by the local administration in four districts - puri,Khurana,Ganjam and Kendrapara will go a long way in keeping a tighter vigil on illegal activities involving prawn ,Besides,drones surveillance would be more cost - effective than patrolling.
Taking note of it,the high court had asked the state government to immediately consider the proposal and make funds available to all four district administrations.
In the affidavit,Verma said the revenue and disaster management department had passed an order for hiring drones. The hiring charges will be met out of the funds earmarked for protection of government land.
According, on January 11,the tahsildar of Brahmagiri and Krushna Prasad blocks in Puri were directed to survey the lake areas by hiring drones at least twice in a week to ascertain the number of illegal prawn under their respective jurisdictions so that early action can be taken to demolish them.
Verma further informed that eviction operations had been intensified between December 3 and 16 last year when they were demolished in 13 locations under Krushna Prasad block.
In the 774 acres in which eviction was carried out earthen over 599 acres and net over 175 acres were cleared,the affidavit said.
Taking note of it,the two-judge bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice M S Raman posted the matter to May 15 for further consideration.
The bench expected drone capture on a daily basis to monitor the emergence and re-emergence of and maintain a library of the video footage.
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