Online petition for protection of North Bengal wetlands

'Save the Wetlands of North Bengal' has so far been signed by over 36,000 green activists and will be submitted to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee when it achieves half-a- lakh mark.

Activists through the petition are demanding urgent action from the government to protect the wetlands, which according to them "support an immense diversity of life while providing ecological services essential to people in the region, including prevention of floods and pollutant filtration".

The environmentalists have described North Bengal as a region of productive agricultural land, rich biodiversity and a home to diverse wildlife that includes fishing cat, leopard, tiger, river terrapin, Himalayan salamander, elephant and different birds.

"The survival of its wildlife and ecosystems, and in turn agriculture, depend on its natural wetlands. These wetlands, however, have been disappearing rapidly," they said in 'thepetitionsite.Com'.

The activists noted that during 1970s and 80s, a huge number of natural wetlands were filled in for development as people had migrated from the newly independent Bangladesh.

"They (wetlands) still are disappearing and scientists predict that they will all be gone by 2030 unless action is taken," the environmentalists claim.

It is crucial that the state government takes immediate action to preserve one of the region's primary natural resources, thereby providing a future for the people and wildlife of North Bengal, the petitioners said.

Areas in North Bengal include six districts of Cooch Behar, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur and Malda.

In his note, Marcus Clarke, a conservation biologist from Barbados, said the role of government is to protect the people and to look after their best interests.

"When you leave a poorer environment to the next generation you are letting down your electorate and should be held accountable accordingly. Please save these wetlands for current and future generations," Clarke said.