Activity – Multi stakeholder engagement
- World Wetlands Day
Since 2019, we have been facilitating the celebration of World Wetlands Day in schools in the wetlands. In 2020, the Wetlands Day celebrations brought the Department of Environment, the rural local government namely the panchayat and the community in close contact, and there was exchange of views regarding the problems that needed to be addressed. This was followed up by action on work-plan for de-siltation of the various canals in EKW.
- Samajik Suraksha Yojana
This was a Social Security Scheme under the Department of Labour in 2017. SCOPE coordinated with the Department and the wastepickers at Dhapa to reach them information about what they are entitled to receive under the scheme. However, since the format of application changed to online mode, not much could be taken forward thereafter. This work needs to be followed up.
- De-silting of canals of the East Kolkata Wetlands
Since the conclusion of World Wetlands Day there was a new initiative to try and map the fishery feeding canals needing de-siltation (to maintain the ecological character of the area) and then after proper survey work, these canals would also be de-silted). Facilitation between the government departments (Environment department, Water Resources Investigation and Development Directorate – WRIDD) and members of the community was done by SCOPE in 2020.