Activists worried over Ennore Creek falling off map

Pooja Kumar, researcher, Coastal Resource Centre (CRC), said that the government-approved map of 1996, obtained through RTI by Jesu Rathinam of Coastal Action Network (CAN) in 2009, shows 6,469 acres of the Ennore creek as a No-Developmental Zone under CRZ-1. “However, in the map we obtained through RTI in 2017, which was presented as the official map, the entire Ennore creek had disappeared. In addition, the map obtained by CAN is consistent with the Coastal Zone Management Plan that identifies Sheet 2, Tiruvallur district as a 16 km long stretch. However, the map given to us this year covers only 13 km and makes it seem as if there is no creek in the map area,” she said. 

At a press conference in the city, CAN, CRC, Save Ennore Campaign and the fisherfolk of Ennore demanded an independent probe into the functioning of the State Coastal Zone Management Authority and the Environment and Forest Department that heads this. Environmentalist Nityanand Jayaraman said, “There are two maps which are government-approved where there should be one. While one is legitimate, the other one is clearly a lie. Two different complaints have been filed before the Information Commission and the State Disaster Management Authority. If the Ennore creek ceases to exist, the city of Chennai will face severe floods during monsoons.” The Ennore Creek protects Tiruvottiyur, RK Nagar, Madhavaram and Ponneri areas from flooding.

Pooja Kumar added that the 2017 RTI response included a 1997 letter from the Ministry of Environment & Forests responding to certain changes proposed to be made by the Government of Tamil Nadu, to accommodate the setting up of a petrochemical park in Ennore. The Ministry allowed the government to redraw the backwater limits contained in the 1996 approved map based on the survey by the Chief Hydrographer to the Government of India. However, the Ministry denied the government of  Tamil Nadu’s request to remove salt pans from the purview of CRZ and insisted that the salt pans influenced by tidal action would involve the protection of the CRZ notifications. The letter does not mention any request made or approval granted to alter the boundaries of the CRZ map. 

Jesu Rathinam of CAN said, “Since both maps have been obtained under the RTI, the Department of Environment has falsified the information in one of the two cases. This is a punishable offence.” K Saravanan, another researcher at CRC, said, “We believe the 1996 map - declaring the entire Creek as CRZ 1 - is the correct one, as it is consistent with the law and reality.”

Srinivasan RL, a fisher leader from the Coalition of All Ennore Fishing Villages, said that this is no longer about the livelihoods of fisherfolk but is a critical question of safety of the metropolis. “The city could not handle Adyar when it flooded. If we lose the Creek to real estate, the mighty Kosasthalaiyar, if it floods during the upcoming monsoons, nothing can save the city. The Kosasthalaiyar river can discharge 1,25,000 cusecs, which is more than the combined discharge of Adyar and Cooum,” he said.