Urgent need to shift dump yard from Pallikaranai marshland

The Pallikaranai marshland, in its current condition, is unable to provide its ecological services as it emits more carbon dioxide and methane than it absorbs, owing to dump yards located within it, said senior counsel P S Raman, appointed by the Madras high court as Amicus Curiae to submit a report on the status of wetlands in the State.

The report, submitted before a division bench comprising Justice S Manikumar and Justice Subramonium Prasad, sought the government to act on a priority basis to shift the dumping yard to an appropriate location.

Pointing out that several ecological experts have recommended that such a dump yard be moved at the earliest as in its current ecological condition the Pallikaranai Marsh emits more carbon dioxide and methane than it absorbs, the report said, “Unless the marsh gets freshwater from its catchment area or the dump is removed, the marshland won’t be able to absorb carbon dioxide as it should.” 

Also, noting that an attempt to shift the dumping yard to Kuthampakkam Village in Tiruvallur was stalled owing to objections by the locals there, the report said, “Until an alternate site is available, the Greater Chennai Corporation should take steps to reduce the area of the existing dump yard and not extend it further, while clearing the existing dumpsites.”

Based on this, the amicus curiae, as part of his recommendations, sought the State to consider the Forest Department’s recommendation to explore the possibility of installing a suitable treatment plant while the Corporation should examine the implementation of appropriate municipal solid waste management strategies in order to minimise the adverse effects of garbage disposal.

The other recommendations included implementing Tamil Nadu Forest Department’s plea, pending since 2012, to transfer 100 hectares from the Corporation to enable it to undertake conservation activities at the earliest and constitute a Vigilance Monitoring Committee with representation from the Registration Authorities, Chennai Municipal Corporation, Forest Department, Revenue authorities and Planning authorities to ensure that no further encroachments take place.

The need for the State to work towards obtaining the status of a designated protected site under the RAMSAR Convention for the Pallikaranai Marshland, shifting of the existing Forest Department Interpretation Centre near SIPCOT complex meant to educate students to the main road near MRTS, Velachery to garner more attention, initiating Corporate Social Responsibility with companies having offices in the ELCOT complex to maintain the nearby lakes and tackling depletion of indigenous plant species by removing the invasive species periodically and reintroducing native species to help mitigate the damage caused also formed part of the recommendation. Pallikaranai Marshland is the only urban wetland of Chennai. In November 2018, the Union Environment Ministry launched the Central Asian Flyway Action Plan identifying 29 wetlands for conservation wherein Pallikaranai Marshland is one the wetlands designated as a protected site under the said plan.