Finally, a plan to save Pallikaranai marsh

Finally, a plan to save Pallikaranai marsh


Gokul Chandrasekar
Express News Service
First Published : 20 May 2011 11:17:00 PM IST
Last Updated : 21 May 2011 06:49:17 AM IST
CHENNAI : The Union Environment Ministry is considering the approval of an adaptive management plan for the Pallikaranai marshland, according to the ministry sources.
The management plan, prepared by Chennai-based NGO called Care Earth, has been sent to the Union Ministry by the state department and is pending for approval, which is expected to come any time soon after procedural clearances. The plan calls for a restoration of the marsh by regulating the solid waste disposal facility, which has been slowly eating into the marsh area, and regulation of developmental activities.
The management plan calls for the establishment of a coordinating umbrella agency to overcome the problems arising out of the multiple ownership of the marsh area. At present, the ownership of the marsh is shared by the Public Works, Forests and Revenue departments making conservation a steep challenge.
“There has never been any plan of action. Exploitation continues unbridled due to lack of coordination between the agencies,” says Jayashree Vencatesan of Care Earth, who has been at the forefront of the Save Pallikaranai March Movement for more than a decade now.
Further, the action plan calls for the preparation of another detailed management plan outlaying sediment studies and hydrological assessments and on ground demarcation of marsh areas.
The detailed plan should prepare pollution assessment, biodiversity assessment and habitat zonation maps so that zone specific interventions can be carried out, notes the plan.
“The major threats that the plan addresses are the regulation of solid waste management and sewage disposal facilities that are encroaching over the marshland,” says Jayashree.
The existing sewage treatment and disposal facility for South Chennai is located on the immediate periphery and within the Pallikaranai Marsh.
A lesser known fact is that the large scale sewage treatment facility of the Alandur Municipality is also located on the premises.
“It has been established by a number of studies and the High Level Committee on Pallikaranai Marsh that the facility is not only inadequate but is also functioning in an ad hoc manner with improper procedures of discharge,” notes the report.
“But Pallikaranai, unlike many other eco-sensitive regions, has a lot of opportunities which the management plan has focussed on,” says Jayashree. “For instance, the commercial development in the area is primarily from the IT sector on the IT Corridor, which is largely a non-polluting one and prefers a green ambience. So, creating awareness amongst them can actually work in favor of the marshland, which is why the action plan also stresses on the creation of a wetland centre and nature-based learning and recreation systems,” she added.
Topics:
Pallikaranai,
sewage,
Care Earth

Why Inter Linking of Rivers required ?

1.We have 16% of world population with 2.2% of land area and hence
intensive agriculture is a must for us.
2.We cannot rely on Import of Food, Pulses, Oil, Fruits, etc. (Total
International Food Trade per year is about 50 Million tonnes, which
is just 20% of our requirement. Even our token entry into international
market, will push up the prices.)
3.Food security is more important than military security.
4.Rainfall spread over 12 months of an year is becoming more and more
non-uniform in recent years.
Since the Meteorological Departments talk of Regional Average Rainfalls,
the importance of this non - uniform spread is not fully appreciated. It
has the following direct and indirect effects :
A. DIRECT :
a) Since there is concentrated precipitation in certain areas for
certain short periods, (even while maintaining the average
rainfall constant) the proportion of runoff water Viz - a - viz
percolation and evaporation is higher.
b) Since the spread is non-uniform, we are forced to extract the
percolated ground water for agriculture and drinking water
needs, for longer periods.
c) Since the total water evaporation is lesser, the average
humidity of air over the 12 months is reduced. This accelerates
the evaporation of water from plants (and water bodies also),
resulting in increased water requirements of plants.
d) This combination of reduced percolation and increased ground
water pumping results in accelerated depletion of Water Table.
B. INDIRECT :
a) Since rainfall is not there for longer spells, the impurity level
of air goes up, affecting the health of all living beings.
b) Since we are forced to rely more and more on ground water
or stored water for drinking, rather than on run off water
(like river water), the probability of contaminated water
entering the biological cycle increases. Also it increases the
TDS intake into our body resulting in failure of sensitive Organs
like, Kidney.
In a nut shell, Inter Linking of all Rivers is :
"Spreading the run - off water of large rivers in between their vast
stretches of parched lands to wet the dry throats and feed the empty
stomachs of about 30 millions! "
If we postpone it any further, the consequences will be manifested in
many walks of life and it will be disastrous.
There is no reason why we should think of the Inter Linking of Rivers as
a single project of Rs.5.75 Crores. Why we should not implement it in a
phased manner over say 20 or 30 years ?

Pallikaranai Marsh - Ray of Hope !

Originally, like any other low lying coastal area, this Pallikaranai Marsh had been a vast stretch of land mass with MSL close to zero. In this area, Sea Water used to come in during high tide and recede during low tide leaving some sea water in the low lying areas. During monsoon periods, rain water will mix with the residual water left in the low lying areas. In the exposed land, vegetation, including trees would grow. Slowly with the population growth and with the construction of the two Roads ( ECR and OMR), the natural Sea water passages which existed across the Bucking Canal have been completely cut off. Now, there is no flow of Sea Water during hightides. There are no connections to the Sea between Adyar and Muttukadu. Practically it is only the Rain Water and the Sewages carried by the various canals that are discharged into the small area left out as Marsh. Now it is purely a Water body with no open land left out. It has an area of about 8KM North-South and 3 KM East - West( 6000 Acres). Even in this area, about 100 acres has been used for laying 200' Road, 450 acres have been swallowed by our Chennai Corporation for Garbage dumping, 15 acres for building STP, about 50 acres for constructing MRTS Station, another 100 acres for various other purposes. We shall be happy that at least now there is awareness and there is a ray of hope for saving the "Marsh". Half of the water body on the Southern side of 200' Road has been declared as Forest with the tireless efforts of Care Earth, Save Pllikaranai Marsh Forum, Environmentalists, etc. Also, based on a PIL filed by Sri Sai Nagar Residents Association and others, the High Court has appointed an Expert Committee to give its opinion as to whether the Chennai Corporation is right in dumping the Garbage in the Marsh in the light of the Technical / Legal aspects prevailing today. We can be sure that the Expert Committee is fully aware of all the Technical / Legal aspects and they will certainly recommend a strong NO to dumping in this Marsh. Difficulty faced by Chennai Corporation in Source Sgeregation (despite a clear cut lead time of 3 years given by MSW Act 2000 till 2003), can not be an excuse for continued illegal occupation of the Marsh by the Corporation. Please note, once it is filled with Garbage, nothing can be done. It is our duty to save at least whatever is left out ! K.Periasamy

http://www.hindu.com/2008/04/03/stories/2008040359880300.htm

Harming environment: Scenes of garbage burning in Perungudi may soon become a thing of the past. —
CHENNAI: Besides directing the State Government to remove all encroachments on the Pallikaranai marshlands, the Madras High Court has directed the Chennai Corporation not to permit the four municipalities — Pallavaram, Madipakkam, Kottivakkam and Valasaravakkam — to dump garbage at Perungudi after April 30.
The First Bench comprising Chief Justice A. P. Shah and Justice Prabha Sridevan clarified that the Corporation could proceed with tenders for selecting a private developer for setting up the Integrated Municipal Solid Waste Processing Facility at Perungudi.
Passing interim orders on two writ petitions, the Bench said the State Government should not permit any construction activity on the marshlands. The court appointed a six-member expert committee, with Sheela Rani Chunkath, Chairperson, TIIC, as its convener to inspect the Perungudi Municipal Solid Waste Yard, CMWSSB treatment plant and the surrounding areas and submit a report regarding the suitability of the present site for usage and the continuance as a municipal solid waste ground and sewage treatment plant; to review compliance of various legislations, guidelines, rules and regulations in relation to dumping of solid waste and discharge of sewage; to review the earlier studies done by various agencies, and the measures taken and proposed to protect the Pallikaranai marsh and render suggestions for restoration and protection of the marsh.
The committee would also suggest measures for remediation of the land, ground water, flora and fauna in the marsh and Seevaram, Pallikaranai, Thoraipakkam and Perungudi villages. It would also consider the cumulative aspects of dumping of garbage, discharge of sewage and conversion of the marshlands to other use and suggest scientific alternative methods of dumping of garbage and discharge of sewage in the light of the methods in other countries.
The committee would conduct public hearing to ascertain the views of the residents of the four villages. The report should be made within six months, the Bench said.
Pending receipt of the report, the Chennai Corporation was directed not to permit their trucks to dump garbage on either side of the road and to remove the garbage already dumped on either side of 60 Feet Road abutting the residential areas and also the 200 feet road, within four weeks. It should demarcate the area of 200 acres which had been allotted to it by CMWSSB and further demarcate 106 acres which was actually used for dumping waste. Security at the dumping site should be increased to prevent incidents of fire. Appropriate scheme for segregating biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes should be evolved and submitted to the court within three months.
The petitioners, including Hyder Ali of Mannady, submitted that in the early 1980s the CMWSSB permitted the Chennai Corporation to dump waste at Perungudi, which today along with Kodungaiyur was a major recipient of Chennai’s solid waste. Adjacent to the dump site is a sewage treatment plant of CMWSSB. The area was low-lying with water-logging. The area was a flood plain holding stormwater runoff in the region ensuring that the surrounding low-lying areas were not inundated during monsoon.
Following a court order, the Advocate-Commissioner submitted his report on Perungudi landfill and sewage treatment plant in June 1999. The Commissioner recorded the consultant reports that there was a constant dumping of industrial and biomedical waste at the site. The Commissioner reported there was water-logging within the dump site and surrounding low-level areas and untreated sewage from the sewage treatment plant flowed along the dump site. He reported that he witnessed fires at a few places on the dump site.
The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board in its report in respect of the landfill at Perungudi submitted that the Chennai Corporation had not complied with the Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000.
The Bench directed the Corporation to submit an action taken report within three months. The matter has been adjourned to June 30.

http://www.hindu.com/2006/06/07/stories/2006060704970500.htm

http://www.hindu.com/2006/06/07/stories/2006060704970500.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai Nationwide study finds air quality worst in Perungudi dump yard
Special Correspondent
It had the largest number of chemicals that affect most organs Presently, none of the toxic, volatile, organic and sulphur compounds tested by the study is being systematically monitored by the Government.
CHENNAI: If results of a recent nation-wide study of air quality are anything to go by, Tamil Nadu's citizens are not breathing easy.
Two samples from the state — out of 21 collected from select locations across the country by a vigilante organisation, Community Environment Monitoring — have been identified as among the most polluted. The third most polluting sample was lifted from Delhi.
A sample from the Perungudi dump yard contained the largest number of chemicals found in any Indian sample. Another one lifted from near the effluent discharge point of a PVC plant at Mettur also had high chemical content. Both samples had chemicals known to affect most organs of the body.
The study, `Smoke Screen - Ambient Air Quality in India,' conducted between March 2004 and December 2005, reported the presence of 45 chemicals, including 13 carcinogens in 21 samples taken from various locations.
Thirteen of them were from Tamil Nadu, including the Mettur, Perungudi and Manali industrial areas and the SIPCOT Industrial Complex, Cuddalore.
The samples were collected with the help of a low-cost air-sampling tool comprising a plastic bag within a bucket, said Shweta Narayan of Community Environmental Monitoring. The samples were tested in a United States Environment Protection Agency-certified laboratory in California.
"Worst samples"
Denny Larson, director, U.S.-based Global Community Monitor, who introduced the bucket sampling system, said the samples from India were the worst he had seen in his work in 12 countries. The levels from one of the locations were at least 32,000 times higher than safe levels. Currently, none of the toxic volatile organic and sulphur compounds tested by the study was being systematically monitored by the Government. The Pollution Control Boards should set standards for permissible limits of toxic gases in ambient air and involve the community in monitoring.
Releasing the report here on Monday, V. Shantha, Director, Cancer Institute, said environment pollution could not be confined merely to ambient air toxicity. Groundwater pollution, noxious exhaust from poorly maintained vehicles and smoke from firewood kitchens and cigarette smoking also compromised the health of the people.
Study sought
She suggested that a study on the health hazards of people living in the affected areas be undertaken to highlight the gravity of the problem, and offered the services of the Cancer Institute to this project.

Air Sample Quality Test conducted in 2005

"http://sipcotcuddalore.com/downloads/choking_in_garbage.pdf"