While the activists across the country are unhappy about the nod for Ken-Betwa river linking project by the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL), closer home the board has granted clearance for a fish-landing centre that could possibly disturb the only known flamingo habitat on the Tamil Nadu side of the Pulicat Bird Sanctuary.
At the 39th meeting of the standing committee of the NBWL in New Delhi on August 23, the minutes of which were made public on Tuesday, the board recommended the proposal for a fish-landing centre and allied works in Annamalaicherry village of Ponneri taluk of Pulicat Bird Sanctuary.
The proposal was considered in the 38th meeting but was deferred as there was no representative from the State. The 39th meeting was attended by Limatoshi, Chief Conservator of Forests (Biodiversity Conservation). He told the standing committee that the proposal involved the construction of a fish-landing centre and desilting of the approach channel and parking channel, auction hall, net mending shed, fish drying platform and overhead tank at Annamalaicherry.
The sanctuary was a wetland which supported the livelihood of communities there traditionally. The fish-landing centre and allied activities would improve the working conditions and benefit the community which in turn would help conserve fish resources and habitats.
Ironically, the wildlife officials here had stopped construction activities at Annamalaicherry, the only place where the flamingoes come during the migratory season, about five years ago.
The Fisheries Department had awarded contracts and work began in 2011 itself. But the Forest Department wrote to the Fisheries Secretary and Tiruvallur Collector to stop work. Stating that once the area was declared sanctuary, development activities could be taken up only after prior permission from NBWL and MoEF under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, the wildlife officials were able to stop work. The Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) clearance was obtained back then and only the NBWL nod was awaited. With the Forest Department itself backing the project, the NBWL sanding committee, after discussions, recommended the proposal along with conditions stipulated by the Chief Wildlife Warden.
A common platform
According to wildlife officials, the objective was to provide a common platform for the fishermen to offload and auction the fish in a hygienic manner. “They would have to follow conditions strictly, without polluting the waters, avoiding oil spills and not letting out sewage, including grey water into the lake. All precautionary measures would be taken and all activities monitored. We can’t lose our only flamingo habitat near Chennai,” said a wildlife official. Every year, thousands of flamingos congregate in these shallow waters rich in food, especially prawns. Birds like curlew, godwit, plovers and migratory ducks, among others also visit the sanctuary during the migratory season from December to May.
“In August, over 500 flamingoes were spotted. Shore birds have also started arriving so early,” says KVRK Thirunaranan of Nature Trust. Activists like him want the State Forest Department to keep a close watch and ensure that the habitat, the feeding ground for lakhs of migratory birds, is not disturbed by anthropogenic pressure.
