Few takers for wetlands rules drafted by Ministry of Environment and Forests

ALAPPUZHA: The new wetlands (conservation and management) rules, 2016 proposed by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) will not help the conservation efforts in the country. This is the view of a Bangalore-based non-governmental organisation, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), which said that the new rules can jeopardise the wetland conservation if implemented.

Dr. Priyadarsanan Dharma Rajan, leader of the wetland conservation team of the trust, said that the proposed rules do not make any firm suggestions or assign any direct responsibilities on anyone to conserve wetlands. The sole responsibility is vested with the respective state governments.

Similar to the wetland rules- 2010, the latest one also excludes rivers and paddy fields. Section IV of the rules does not suggest any firm action against violators. “The role of the authorities is restricted to surveying the wetlands, preparing management plans and coordinating with ‘line departments’ for the implementation of the plans,” he added.

Mr T.D. Jojo, project coordinator and member of the team, said that the implementation of 2010 rules had not reached anywhere. Kerala and some other states had just initiated steps for setting up ‘state wetland authorities’ as per the 2010 rules. So the sudden introduction of the new rules will hit the government’s conservation activities, he said.