There are 31 water tanks interconnected to Pallikaranai.
Representational image
Chennai: The greens are shocked at the brazen way in which local bodies and public works department are draining freshwater from the Pallikaranai marsh to prevent waterlogging in buildings constructed close to the protected forestland.
The marshland, which helped reduce the impact of Chennai floods along the IT corridor early this month, has gone bone dry due to periodical draining of water. Also, the estuary, which used to allow the tides to let the sea water flow in or the freshwater to flow out depending on whether it was high tide or low tide has now lost its connect with the Bay.
Also, with residents pumping out untreated sewer into the marsh, a section of migratory duck varieties have already begun leaving the marsh, confirmed wildlife sources monitoring the marsh.
“The clearing of sand dunes at Muttukaadu estuary to allow the water to drain early this month has seen the water from the western and southern side of Pallikaranai marshland disappear. There should be some concern for the marshland for if water recedes gradually it will help the biodiversity of Chennai’s sprawling marsh”, explained Mr K.V.R.K. Thirunaranan, founder, The Nature Trust, who is documenting the migratory birds for state forest department at Pallikaranai.
There are 31 water tanks interconnected to Pallikaranai and if these water bodies are well maintained, issues like floods and depleting ground water table can be addressed during summer and monsoons, he added.
Local foresters said that during the first week of December, an unprecedented flow deluged the marsh via Okkiyam Maduvu reaching Buckingham canal and Muttukaadu where the channel drains in to the sea.
The Pallikaranai restoration project, mooted by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in 2012, has started showing positive signs, but issues like draining of water, dumping of garbage and encroachments continue to haunt the Rs 15 crore biodiversity project. Control of water management is vested with the PWD and local bodies handle clearing of encroachments, the foresters pointed out.
“At present all water bodies and channels are given maximum priority and Pallikaranai marshland will also receive its due and we will look into the issue,” Kancheepuram district collector R. Gajalakshmi told DC.
“Chennai floods have proved the significance of water bodies. People in Perumbakkam, Sholinganallur, Raja Kilpakkam and Semmenchery suffered minimal damage only because of Pallikaranai absorbing the floods”, said nature enthusiast and advocate N. Udayakumar.
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( Source : deccan chronicle )
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