The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal has directed the Chief Secretary to the Government of Tamil Nadu to convene a meeting with top officials from the Chennai Port, Kamarajar Port, and the Adani Kattupalli Port to discuss measures to clear invasive mussels from the Ennore-Pulicat wetlands.
During the hearing of a petition filed by Kumaresan Sooluran, a resident of Ennore, about the spread of invasive mussels in the Kosasthalaiyar backwaters, the Bench comprising Justice Pushpa Satyanarayana and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati, on Thursday, expressed their displeasure over the persistent inaction from the State government on cleaning up the wetlands.
The charru mussels (Mytella strigata), also known as as kaaka aazhi, are are a threat to the waterbodies and the biodiversity, and impede boat movement. The invasive species, which is native to the U.S., has spread over the Indian shores because of the movement of ships.
Initially, the Water Resources Department (WRD) estimated the cost of clearing the mussels at ₹8.5 crore. However, according to the government pleader, this estimate has since been raised to ₹160 crore due to the proliferation of the mussels till Pulicat.
In the earlier hearing of the petition on July 23, the Bench urged the WRD to commence the clean-up, and then, recover the costs from the Kamarajar Port. However, noting that there has been no action, Mr. Korlapati said, “What is painful is, even after so many months, not even one mussel has been removed.” He pointed out that the government, in the recent oil spill clean-up in Ennore, acted first, and only then charged the Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited.
Justice Sathyanarayana reiterated that the spread of mussels is rapid and must be addressed immediately to prevent the potential economic repercussions for the fisheries industry.
The Bench ordered the Chief Secretary to convene a meeting with the secretaries of the WRD, the Fisheries Department, the Revenue Department, and the chairperson of the Tamil Nadu State Wetland Authority, besides port officials, and file a report before August 27.
Published - August 09, 2024 01:10 am IST
