Chennai: Kamarajar Port and North Chennai Thermal Power Station stand as two main reasons for pollution in Ennore creek, the hydrostatic balance point of the city. Violating air and water acts, lethal and cancer-causing asbestos sheets are dumped in the creek, beside illegally clearing the green belt in the ecologically sensitive area.
The arterial hydrostatic balance point of Chennai, Ennore Creek cries for an attention from the environmental managers, including Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) and State Coastal Zone Management Authority. The tidal water body, which is a basin for Kosasthaliyar and Araniyar river, has shrunk to one foot in the high tide line, while the creek is completely concrete in the low tide line, due to the exploitation by the Port and the thermal power station.
Depletion of water in the creek is a threat to the city as Chennai metro water sources water from the Araniyar Kosasthaliyar Basin. Environmentalist, Nityanand Jayaraman said: “Chennai Metro Water extracts 125mld from the basin each day. It is ironic that the importance of the basin is not understood, at a time when the city is facing an acute water crisis.”
“If fresh water sources are taken away, sea water would come in,” he added.
The local fishermen community was also deprived of the livelihood, due to the decreasing water levels. K Saravanan, a fisherman said, “Six villages are relying on the water body. We try hard to earn a meagre amount, to feed our families.”
Efforts to reach NCTPS authorities had not fructified. When DC contacted a senior official from Ponneri taluk fffice said that they had received the complaint from the fishermen. “We would take action, that is within our limits,” the official said.
Kamarajar Port, which had dumped debris at the creek, had not completely cleared it, despite an order from the National Green Tribunal.
