Health card, care in offing for 50 wetlands, including Adyar

CHENNAI: As many as 50 wetlands in the State, including the Adyar River in Chennai, will be protected by Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 as Tamil Nadu State Wetland Authority has decided to prepare health cards for the wetlands and ecologically restore them under Tamil Nadu Wetland Mission.

Health cards for the 50 wetlands will be prepared by studying sediments stored in the wetlands to estimate the ecological and hydrological characteristics including the analysis of soil and sediment carbon, methane and nitrous oxide among other factors.

Deepak Srivatsava, Member Secretary, TN State Wetland Authority, said the selected wetlands will be notified under the Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules for restoration and conservation. “Based on the health cards, we’ll prepare integrated management planning coordinating with various departments,” he added.

As the State announced the restoration of 100 wetlands in next 5 years under the Mission, the authority will hand over 25 wetlands to the Centre for Environmental Studies at Anna University for restoration. Of the remaining 75, as many as 50 wetlands will be handed over to the other institutions and 25 will be taken care of by the Authority.

Apart from Adyar, Kalapakkam and Mahabalipuram backwaters in Chengalpattu, Cuddalore Castle Lagoon, Mullodai Lagoon, Then Pennai River Mouth, and Uppanar in Cuddalore, Cauvery (Ootamalai Hanging Bridge to Yemanur Village) in Dharmapuri, and Ongur Salt Marsh in Villupuram are shortlisted for the project. Tamil Nadu has 43,916 wetlands, including 5,013 natural wetlands, spread over more than 9 lakh hectares.