Restore Pallikaranai to its original state: NGT directs GCC
The civic body's proposal to create an eco park on 100 acres of land where biomining to remove legacy waste from Perungudi dumping yard.
Pallikaranai marshland
CHENNAI: A few days after DT Next published an article highlighting the importance of reclaiming the Pallikaranai marshland and restoring it to its original state, the southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the Greater Chennai Corporation to find an alternate location for the proposed eco park.
Hearing a case pertaining to dumping of debris behind Pallikaranai marshland, the bench comprising justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati observed that the Greater Chennai Corporation is in possession of 173.56 hectares, of which 40 acres have been reclaimed and they are yet to hand it over to the forest department.
Noting the civic body's proposal to create an eco park on 100 acres of land where biomining to remove legacy waste from Perungudi dumping yard, the bench directed it to find out an alternate place for the park and allow the marshland to be restored to its original condition.
Also Read: Let Pallikaranai marshland remain an aquatic habitat
As per Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) survey, major occupant of Pallikaranai marshland include ELCOT having an extent of 163.25 hectares and railways with a possession of 46.92 hectares.
"The next occupant is the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) with an extent of 20.71 Hectares. There are also various residential colonies like Pari Nagar, Mahalakshmi Nagar, Ambedkar Nagar and Ma. Po. Si. Nagar are put together approximately 15 Hectares, " the bench observed.
Meanwhile, around 749 hectares have been handed over to the forest department for maintenance.
"Let the government also come up with a solution as to how they can be evicted if they do not have any right or title over the same, " the bench ordered.
Through an article titled 'Let Pallikaranai marshland remain an aquatic habitat' published on January 14, residents and environmental experts urged the civic body to let the Perungudi landfill free of any waste processing projects so that the marshland could rejuvenate itself over the time of biomining works completed.