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January 31, 2005
Who Heeds When the Mother Nature Cries?
I was quite appalled when I saw this construction work happening at the heart of the Chennai’s only wetland. Many people in Chennai would not have heard about this place, but this place is very important for the delicate eco system of the city. The Pallikaranai’s wetland at the southern outskirts of the city, flanked by Velacherry, Taramani and the new christened IT High Way, is already looking like overpowering stench of garbage. Now it is being obscured by the heaps and heaps of steel and concrete.
The wetland is believed to have spread across 50 square kilometres few decades back. However, it is gradually giving away to dumping of garbage, encroachments and developmental activities shrinking it to less than five square kilometres at present.
In the name of haphazard and ill-conceived urban development, the Chennai only wetland, which is home to rich bio diversity and a vital aquifer for the city that depends mostly on fast depleting groundwater supplies, is being destroyed relentlessly.
This wetland was once home to more than 100 species of fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals which have been entirely wiped out because of the dumping of garbage and constructions activities. The entire waste generated by the city (including yours and mine) is fully dumped at this place and the same is set ablaze to keep the growing heaps at a manageable proportion causing air pollution of greater magnitude.
On top of all these, the Chennai Corporation and the other adjacent municipalities are hitting the last nail on the coffin by dumping sewage waters onto these already threatened marshlands.
Posted by Vasanth at January 31, 2005 03:21 PM
Comments
Nice to see a place close to where I stay on the net in a blog.....but pathetic to see the state of the palce....BTW, do you know that the marshy lands of velachery is a home to lots of migrating birds.....I have come across many such during my childhood...and last week, I helped a tortoise cross the road to a pond ...........This place is very very important to the ecological balance of chennai....
Posted by: Phantom at March 1, 2005 01:37 PM
Chakra - I too thought that they have stopped all activities at this place. However, when I visited this place a few days back I was actually quite shocked. Already they have constructed a huge bypass road bisecting the marshlands that has almost stopped movement of water from one side to another. Nobody actually understands the gravity of this situation and the catastrophic effects it’s going to have on Chennai groundwater. The problem is there is no real movement to save this marshland.
Posted by: Vasanth at February 2, 2005 04:17 PM
Good of you to have blogged about that.. There was some buzz in the media abt the pallikaranai marsh couple of months back.. I heard that the govt. has intervened and has banned any construction near that place.. but shocked to learn from your post that its not so, in reality.
Posted by: Chakra Sampath at February 2, 2005 04:01 PM
I used my mobile cam since I didn't take my camera on that day Kary, . So couldn't help on the clarity.
Posted by: Vasanth at February 1, 2005 05:50 PM
Nice one da. Try improving the pic clarity moms.
Posted by: Kary at February 1, 2005 05:46 PM