Green case against Book Fair at High Court

An eminent environmentalist today moved the Calcutta High Court claiming that preparation for the Kolkata Book Fair was leading to pollution of the Brigade Parade ground area, considered to be the lung of the metropolis.

Subhas Dutta placed before a division bench, presided by justice Asim Banerjee, 30 photographs which he claimed were proof of the digging and spoiling of the ground by the contractors and other workers for setting up the showrooms and other offices for the book fair.

Dutta claimed that trenches had been dug to place cables and to prepare service privies, affecting the environmental balance of the ground, and alleged that the state government had not taken any action in this regard.

The Bench then directed the state counsel RL Moitra to personally look into the issue and inform the court about the situation on January 20, the next date of hearing of the matter.

The High Court had earlier directed that the environmental balance of the brigade parade ground must be kept intact and the greenery maintained for the sake of the people's health.

It had also directed that prior permission of the military authorities, which own the ground, was necessary before the state government granted permission for any usage of the ground by any organisation.