The Supreme Court on Thursday issued a contempt of court notice to the Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh over the alleged construction of illegal fish tanks at the Kolleru Lake wetlands and Bird Sanctuary [K Mrutyumjaya Rao v Neerabh Kumar Prasad].

A three-judge Bench of Justices BR Gavai, Prashant Kumar Mishra and KV Viswanathan sought response from the Chief Secretary Neerabh Kumar Prasad after it was informed that the State has wilfully not complied with a 2006 order of the court concerning restoration of the Kolleru wildlife sanctuary.

Back on April 10, 2006, the Court in TN Godavarman Thirumulpad v. Union of India had directed the officers of State to implement directions passed by a Central Empowered Committee (CEC) in its report of March 20, 2006.

In its directions, the CEC had called for restoration of the Kolleru wildlife sanctuary by demolishing of all fish tanks constructed inside the sanctuary as well as tanks of area of more than 100 acres by May 31, 2006.

The Court has now directed the Chief Secretary to respond on why contempt proceedings must not be initiated for allegedly flouting these directions.

The contempt plea before the top court says that the use or transportation of inputs for pisciculture has not been stopped in the area. As a result, illegal fish tanks are still thriving with such uninterrupted supply of inputs for pisciculture.

The petitioner submitted that information he obtained under the Right to Information Act, 2005 (RTI Act) from the Office of the Divisional Forest Officer, Wildlife Management Division, of the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department clearly indicated that an area of 6908.48 hectares is under illegal aquaculture at the Kolleru wildlife sanctuary.

The petitioner has prayed the court to direct the Chief Secretary to ensure the implementation of the directions passed in 2006 and to order the removal of illegal encroachments in Kolleru Lake.

Advocate Akshay Mann appeared for the petitioner.