Chennai Corporation refuses to handover Pallikaranai marshland to Forest Dept, wants the Ramsar site to manage waste
The forest department has 700 hectares of marshland. It has commenced the project to construct see-through barriers around the vulnerable areas of the marsh.
Pallikaranai marshland; GCC
CHENNAI:The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), which possesses 173.56 hectares of Pallikaranai marshland and uses the Ramsar-recognised wetland as a dumping yard, has refused to hand over the wetland to the State Forest department for maintenance.
The civic body has informed the Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that a bio-mining project and reclamation of the Perungudi dumping ground is being carried out at an estimated Rs 350.65 crore under the Swachh Bharat Mission.
In a status report, the civic body said that a consultant agency would demarcate the total land under possession of GCC and prepare the master plan of land usage indicating the existing and proposed solid waste management facilities and the creation of vegetative and green cover.
The report added that a letter has been sent to the Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Climate Change and Forest department explaining the proposals to be implemented for ‘integrated environment-friendly’ projects after land reclamation and informing that the civic body is not in a position to hand over the land to the forest department.
In January, the NGT directed the civic body to furnish a report regarding when the land would be reclaimed and handed over to the forest department for further maintenance as a wetland. Meanwhile, several residents opposed the civic body’s plan to construct an eco-park on the reclaimed land.
During a public hearing in February, they urged the maintenance of the land as a wetland.
“The GCC is in possession of 173.56 hectares. Of which, according to them, approximately 40 acres have been reclaimed, and they are yet to hand it over to the Forest department. We only direct the GCC to find an alternate place and allow the marshland to be restored to its original condition,” the Tribunal had said.
The forest department has 700 hectares of marshland. It has commenced the project to construct see-through barriers around the vulnerable areas of the marsh.
However, the forest department could not create the barriers around the marshland in possession of the civic body and some privately owned plots.
