One of Tamil Nadu’s major Ramsar-recognized wetlands is the Pallikaranai wetland. The environmental organization Poovulagin Nanbargal has criticized the government for deciding in a way that would affect these wetlands. On the organization’s official page regarding this, it said: “It is highly condemnable that the T.V.K. government has reduced the 1 km Zone of Influence proposed during the previous DMK regime for the Ramsar-recognized Pallikaranai wetland—approximately 3,000 hectares—to 128.19 hectares.

Any areas within the catchment area of a wetland or a wetland complex where development activities are carried out and which affect that wetland should be defined as ZoI, or the “zone of impact.” Under the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017, NCSCM is carrying out the preparation of the Integrated Management Plan (IMP) for the Pallikaranai marshland.
The impact zone should be defined during the very process of preparing the Integrated Management Plan. The guidelines/regulations for the impact zone should also be part of the IMP. However, reducing the interim impact zone to 128.19 hectares before the IMP tasks and the tasks of defining the impact zone are completed will not protect Pallikaranai in any way. It cannot be said with certainty when the work of preparing the IMP for the Pallikaranai wetland will be completed.

Until then, if unrestricted construction work is carried out in areas other than the 128.19-hectare impact zone currently proposed by the government, it will end up being an irreparable disaster for the Pallikaranai marshland. Tomorrow, the Chennai High Court is set to issue an order in this case. There is a strong likelihood that orders will be issued accepting the 128.19-hectare area proposed by the Tamil Nadu government as the impact zone.
In Tamil Nadu, there are many more Ramsar-recognized wetlands that are yet to be legally notified under the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017, and the government's stance on this issue risks setting a wrong precedent. We urge the Tamil Nadu government to withdraw this decision, which could destroy the Pallikaranai marshland." it noted.
Junior Vikatan's exclusive Whatsapp Group...
Click here to join... https://tinyurl.com/2b963ppb
Hello,
From BIG BREAKINGS to... relentless updates and in-depth articles across all areas—politics, society, crime, cinema, and more.
Attention-grabbing articles from Junior Vikatan magazine and digital, right here as soon as they’re published... https://tinyurl.com/2b963ppb
