The Hindu : Move to make Pallikaranai marsh `protected wetland'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 16, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

Move to make Pallikaranai marsh `protected wetland'

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI July 15. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board will approach the Centre to accord a `protected wetland' status for the Pallikaranai marsh as a step towards preserving the disappearing eco assets of the area.

Indiscriminate dumping of garbage on the adjacent Perungudi landfill and letting out of untreated sewage into the marshland have threatened its fragile eco system to the point of total habitat loss for some species. The 40-sq km wetland has been reduced to a shallow marsh choked by grass, reed and sedges, according to a baseline study of the urban wetland by Care Earth, an organisation working towards ecological conservation. The draft of the report was released today.

At the end of the meeting, which was attended by representatives of the Chennai Corporation and other local bodies abutting the marshland, the Metrowater, the Forest department and the Onyx, the private company involved in conservancy operations in the city, besides the TNPCB, a consensus on stopping all activities detrimental to the eco system was arrived at.

The report, presented by Jayashree Vencatesan of Care Earth, suggested that the wetland be trifurcated into critical zone, sensitive zone and controlled zone. While the first two zones should be completely cordoned off to prevent any further damage, eco restoration should be taken up extensively at the controlled zone. The conservation efforts should conform to the species diversity, the potential the marshland offered, the water depth and its quality.

The study was conducted in 10 sampling locations and a water quality assessment was also done at the CPR Environmental Education Centre.

The results showed that the marsh had been largely affected by organic waste disposal and contamination, indicated by high levels of chloride and sulphates. The presence of traces of mercury was a cause for concern, the report said.

The Pollution Control Board would present a proposal to the Committee on Wetlands, Mangroves and Coral Reefs to demarcate the area under `protected wetland' and seek the Forest Department's help to safeguard the area, its Chairperson, Sheela Rani Chunkath, said.

The marshland had been home to 61 naturally occurring species of plants, 46 species of fish, 106 species of birds, seven species of butterflies, 21 species of reptiles and some exotic floating vegetation such as water hyacinth and water lettuce which are less extensive now and highly localised throughout.

Recent reports of white-spotted garden skink having appeared for the first time in Tamil Nadu at the wasteland and Russell's viper, the largest and the most widespread among Asian vipers, having been seen, only confirmed its invaluable ecological status.

Fish such as dwarf gourami and chromides that are widely bred and traded worldwide for aquaria, naturally occur in Pallikaranai. Besides, the windowpane Oyster, mud crab, mullet, half beak and green chromide were some of the estuarine fauna present at the marsh.

Forty inland wetlands had been identified in Tamil Nadu for a nationwide bio-conservation programme undertaken by the UNDP, Ms. Jayashree said. The study of Pallikaranai was the first step with a focus on urban wetlands, she said.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

Stories in this Section

Move to make Pallikaranai marsh `protected wetland'

Hazardous pollutants envelop T.Nagar

Rail bookings through Internet by year-end

Women chain snatchers strike at temple festival

SC declines status quo on unseating of Stalin