Sip & Destroy: How a Riverside Café Has Swallowed Sunderbans' Soul

Brewed in destruction: a sprawling café has risen on razed mangroves, encroaching the Irrigation Department’s land on the dried Malta riverbed in the ecologically sensitive Sunderbans Islands.

And obviously, the ‘king maker’ in this case is the proud son of a powerful former Trinamool Congress legislator from South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal who allegedly used to claim ‘Rules can be bent for me.’

Glaring lens has now been focussed on how vast stretches of mangroves in the environmentally fragile and sensitive Sunderbans Island were indiscriminately destroyed and portions of the Matla riverbed illegally encroached upon to construct a massive riverside café.

Son of Shaukat Molla, a former Trinamool Congress legislator, in perfect collusion with his father’s enormous political clout, had reclaimed land from the Matla riverbed when Molla was the MLA of Canning East in South 24 Parganas district.

The sprawling cafeteria- Aranyer Kule (At the bank of the Forest)- owned by Imran Molla, son of Shaukat, is presently awaiting terminal days for demolition, thanks to the motto of zero tolerance on illegal construction and infiltration pledged by the Suvendu Adhikari-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Bengal.

After the state government authorised the district administration to probe the papers behind the construction of the café in the wake of a mass public outrage against it, detail investigations revealed that the cafeteria had been built by illegally occupying land belonging to the State Irrigation Department.

The construction had triggered a major controversy then amid serious allegations of destruction of the precious ecosystem of the Sunderbans Island; but the sweeping political clout of Shaukat Molla hushed up all shades of illegal encroachment charges.

The entire structure, the probe found, is being described as an unlawful construction.

The office of the Canning Sub-Divisional Officer summoned Imran Molla and asked him to produce all relevant land and ownership documents. During verification, officials reportedly discovered that the cafeteria had been built by illegally occupying land belonging to the Irrigation Department.

Acting on these findings, the district administration has now ordered the demolition of the structure. Imran has been directed to dismantle the cafeteria by June 29 next.

If the deadline is ignored, officials maintain, the administration will raze the structure with bulldozers.

Construction of the Cafe

According to officials, Imran Molla had constructed the café at Moukhali in South 24 Parganas by reclaiming land from the Matla riverbed during the time when his father wielded tremendous political influence as the MLA.

Local residents allege that the establishment continued to operate with complete disregard to the environmental and land-use regulations under the shelter of political patronage. Vast stretches of riverine land on the Matla ‘char’ (dried part of the riverbed) were allegedly occupied by the MLA and his family for the project.

However, the political equations changed dramatically after the change in the state’s power dynamics. Following Shaukat Molla’s electoral defeat in the last assembly polls, a series of cases began surfacing against him. The controversial café became one of the focal points of those investigations.

The property first came under intense scrutiny when investigators probing the case of bomb explosion at Bhangar conducted searches at Shaukat’s residence as well as the café premises.

It was during those raids that details of Imran’s ownership reportedly came to light. In the meantime, Shaukat Molla was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the Bhangar blast case.

Prior to that, investigators had also interrogated his son Imran. Around the same period, notices seeking information regarding the legality of the café were pasted at the entrance of Aranyer Kule. The Canning subdivision administration has now formally ordered its demolition.

Recently, the Canning SDO directed the owners to demolish the cafeteria voluntarily within seven days. Failing compliance within the stipulated period, the administration will carry out an eviction and demolition drive on its own, with the entire cost to be recovered from Imran Molla.

Earlier, the administration had instructed Imran to submit all valid land-related documents by June 18. It is learnt that his lawyer appeared during the hearing but failed to produce any legally valid ownership papers. That failure prompted the administration to initiate the present action.

More Illegal Constructions

However, uncertainty still surrounds several other commercial establishments that have mushroomed in the same area. Authorities are currently examining their documentation before taking a final call.

Meanwhile, no immediate decision has yet been taken regarding an old-age home allegedly built by Canning Paschim Trinamool MLA Paresh Ram Das.

Officials say the matter involves multiple legal and administrative complications, prompting the administration to proceed cautiously. Nevertheless, preliminary findings reportedly suggest that the construction too stands on encroached riverine land.

The Ichamati River

Fate of Resorts at the Ichamati River Front

Taki, another precious jewel in the crown of Bengal tourism department, has now making a lot of negative noises. At least 56 hotels and resorts that have come up during the past two decades at the sprawling riverfront of the Ichamati, have been served with demolition orders for portions of buildings constructed either illegally or encroaching the riverfront.

The beleaguered business establishments have promptly approached the Calcutta High Court for a stay on the proceedings of the Taki Municipality and presently the case is sub judice. However, locals allege rampant and a no-holds-barred encroachment of the riverfront in the last two decades that has spoilt the quiet ambience of the town.

The tranquil Ichamati river, with Bangladesh visible across the river in the North 24 Parganas district, attracts hundreds of tourists. Taki is also famed for heritage buildings, lush greenery and the annual immersion of Durga idols from India and Bangladesh during Vijaya Dashami.