Saving wetlands topmost priority of govt: Environment minister

West Bengal Environment minister Suvendu Adhikary Wednesday said saving wetlands was the topmost priority of the state government.

He said 12,500 hectares of wetlands was protected in recent times by the state government.

"Our team keeps regular tab on existing wetlands as part of the mission to save water bodies and we take the help of police in this drive," Adhikary told reporters on the sidelines of a seminar organised by West Bengal Bio-diversity Board.

He said two-three constructions on wetlands had been raged down in recent months in the city and surrounding areas.

To a question about the fate of a proposed six-km flyover project over part of East Kolkata Wetlands, which was opposed by a section of environmentalists, Adhikary said "the new committee on wetlands, with me as the Chairman, will take up the issue at our first meeting very soon."
Asked about the rise in air pollution in the city, the minister said fluctuation of air quality index during winter has been a typical phenomenon for past 25 years "and there is no need to trigger the alarm button."
He said while Particulate Matter 10 and Particulate Matter 2.5 fluctuated over alarming level at certain times in this season, the NO2 and SO2 levels were "much lower but not certainly within permissible limits always."