Recently the TN government conceded the Government of India-owned Kamarajar Port Ltd’s (KPL) request to divert 1,000 acres of the hydrologically sensitive Ennore wetlands for industrial installations that are best built on dry land.
The proposal is pending Central government clearance.
How significant is Ennore creek to Chennai?
Ennore creek is a backwater located in Ennore, Chennai along the Coromandel Coast.
It buffers the rich aquifers of the Araniyar-Kosasthalaiyar Basin from the sea.
Located squarely in the intervening floodplains of three rivers on a high-energy coastline, Chennai is a disaster-prone location.
Wetlands like the Ennore creek function more as shock absorbers in times of such disasters.
This wetland’s importance may not be apparent as much of the creek looks dry all the year-round.
However, when cyclonic weather pushes the sea water landwards, or when rain waters from the two rivers drain into the sea, the creek swells to its full capacity.
The presence of the creek prevents many parts of the city from flooding.
It keeps salt water from invading the groundwater resources that supply huge volumes of drinking water to the Chennai city.
What are recent threats to the creek?
In 1996, the Tamil Nadu government protected a 6,500-acre stretch of the tidal water body under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification.
However more than 1,000 acres of the creek were lost to illegal encroachments.
These installations block the path of rain waters. e.g Areas that never got flooded saw waters enter homes during the 2015 Chennai floods
If plans to fill the creek persist, the precious freshwater aquifer that Chennai draws from will be lost to salt.
The governments are only targeting encroachments by the vulnerable poor people as a remedy rather than controlling the illegal constructions of the elite.
It is the need of the hour to balance environmental concerns and development issues, and take appropriate policy decisions.
