Berhampur: Around 2,400 acres of illegal prawn gheries (net enclosures) have been evicted from Chilika Lake during a special drive in and around Balugaon over the past two days, sources said on Sunday.
Joint Operation by Multiple Agencies
The revenue department, police, Chilika Development Authority (CDA), and Chilika Wildlife Division conducted a joint operation in areas such as Chandraput, Lambodarpur, Patasahanapur, and Khandalakote near Balugaon on Friday and Saturday.
“We have already evicted illegal prawn gheries in around 2,400 acres and seized 35 kg of fishing nets and bamboos during the two-day drive,” said Bishnupriya Behera, additional tehsildar of Balugaon, who was monitoring the operation. She added that the CDA provided logistic support by supplying two boats for the eviction of the illegal enclosures. No untoward incidents were reported during the drive, she confirmed.
Background of the Eviction Drive
Last year, the district administrations of Ganjam, Puri, and Khurda had freed a large area of the lake from prawn gheries. However, a fresh drive was necessitated after some miscreants reinstalled the gheries following the earlier evictions, sources said. During the latest operation, no one came forward to claim ownership of the gheries. Nevertheless, an investigation is underway to identify the offenders, and strong action will be taken against those found guilty, warned Behera.
Impact of Illegal Prawn Gheries
The prawn mafia had constructed these gheries illegally inside the lake for lucrative business purposes. Despite previous evictions by district administrations, the prawn mafia allegedly rebuilt them for prawn culture.
Spanning approximately 1,100 square kilometers, Chilika Lake stretches across the districts of Ganjam, Puri, and Khurda. Local fishermen and environmental activists have repeatedly demanded the removal of encroachments from the lake.
“Illegal prawn gheries and prawn culture ponds not only damage the breeding ground of other fish but also destroy the fragile ecosystem of the country’s largest wetland,” said Sudhir Rout, an environmental activist. “Illegal prawn gheries also affect fish production in the lake, thereby robbing the livelihood of local fishermen,” added a fisherman.
