CHENNAI: Taking a giant step towards saving the last remaining biodiversity hotspots in northern Tamil Nadu, the Forest Department has proposed to set up a body for promoting conservation activities. The Conservation Authority of Pallikaranai Marshlands, comprising forest officials, representatives of various government agencies, NGOs, office bearers of residents’ welfare associations and representatives of IT companies, will function as the apex technical advisory body for the marshlands in Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts. Once constituted, it would be the first dedicated authority for marshlands in the country.Hailing it as a landmark move, environmentalists view the new development as the fruition of years of struggle by the stakeholders to conserve the Pallikaranai marsh.The present development comes in the backdrop of an announcement made by J Jayalalithaa on November 12, 2002, during her earlier stint as Chief Minister, that the government would initiative a process to declare the Pallikaranai marsh a Reserve Forest. “The government would also initiate a move to declare Pallikaranai swamp area a Reserve Forest zone to prevent urban development in the sensitive ecosystem,” Jayalalithaa had said, after an aerial survey of the flood-affected residential zones in South Chennai. This had paved the way for the declaration of Pallikaranai marsh as Reserved Land soon after.Sources in the Forest Department told Express that the authority would have the responsibility of developing and maintaining the marsh through self-sustaining programmes and activities. It would have the powers to receive and utilise funds from both the government and private donors. Subsequently, the scope of the authority would be expanded to all other marshlands in the three northern coastal districts of the State.The unique aspect is that the move envisaged real time public participation in restoration and conservation of the ecologically rich and diverse marsh. Sources said the authority would also set up a wetland centre for planning and development of wetlands in other parts of the State. The centre would fill the knowledge gap that exists in the country in wetland management arena. It would aid capacity building among wetland managers and pave way for a more focused research on the subject, something the country has not seen so far.That the Pallikaranai marsh has been getting the much-needed attention was evidenced from the fact that the Chief Minister had, on July 15 last year, sanctioned Rs 15.75 crore for its ecological restoration and conservation for a five-year period.
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