Make use of heavy rains to study floodplains: NGT

CHENNAI: Noting that Chennai has witnessed an unprecedented rainfall, the southern bench of the National Green Tribunal has directed the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) to conduct a study on the width of floodplains to ascertain the coastal zone management zone.

"As this being a rainy season and Chennai also witnessed unprecedented rainfall recently, this would be an appropriate time for the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) to study the width of the carriageway as well as the flood plains. The learned counsel for the applicant also wants the NCSCM to get into action to do this study at the earliest, " the bench comprising Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and Satyagopal Korlapati said in their order.

The direction has been given while hearing a case pertaining to the preparation of Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) for Chennai and Tiruvallur districts.

However, the NCSCM has already told the government that the distance up to which the tidal effects are experienced can be determined based on salinity concentration which can be done only during the driest period of the year or peak summer.

In his complaint, P Mahendran, who is the applicant, alleged that the draft CZMPs are incomplete and portions of the water body are not shown. There are fundamental and fatal lapses in failing to prepare the CZMP with the correct baseline map, namely the Government of India-approved 1996 CZMP, he had said.