Madras' waterways - in need of help

I usually return on late night flights and rarely get to see the coastline from the air.  In the recent past, as I returned home during the day, I enjoyed the views of the Bay of Bengal and our Coromandel coast, with its lovely beaches.

Bapatla beach, Pulicat lake and then down to Ennore.

Ennore creek - when you see it from the air, you realise how large and important this ecosystem is. I wondered what that green stagnant pond was.

8,000 acres which should be protected under the Coastal Zone Management Map of 1996.

This CZMP seemed to have mysteriously vanished and has surfaced, after many a RTI to show blatant violations.

The New Indian Express published this article in 17th June 2017,

State and Central government entities have converted over 1,000 acres of the ecologically sensitive Ennore creek — and have more in the pipeline — in violation of mandatory procedures, alleged activists on Friday in a revelation that raises serious concerns.
The creek’s 8,000-acre water spread area is classified as CRZ-1 (Coastal Regulation Zone), where development is strictly regulated, according to Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) of 1996. As per CRZ notification, this is the only approved map, and the state and district coastal zone management authorities have to refer to it while appraising all applications seeking clearance.
In two separate RTI responses to Coastal Resource Centre, an NGO, the Tiruvallur district Coastal Zone Management Authority (CZMA) and the State CZMA have revealed that neither has a copy of the approved map for Ennore creek. The district authority admitted that it relied solely on the maps submitted by the project proponents.
“The CZMP of 1996 has so far been kept under the carpet. Major establishments like Kamarajar Port and the thermal power plants have got clearances based on unapproved maps prepared by their consultants. This is a serious violation by State and Central public sector undertakings,” said Nityanand Jayaraman of Save Ennore Creek Campaign.
Some of the activities like port and oil storage containers are permitted in CRZ-1, but the basis on which the clearances were obtained was wrong.
Kamarajar Port is now converting 280 acres of waterbody into land for a coal yard, TANGEDCO is also dumping sand and blocking the creek to construct a coal conveyor belt for the Ennore Thermal Power Station and Bharat Petroleum is building a storage facility on 102 acres of the wetland. “Such activities are strictly prohibited in CRZ-1 and clearances can’t be granted as per the CZMP approved in 1996.”
For obtaining clearance, BPCL submitted maps prepared by Institute of Remote Sensing (IRS), according to which the project site falls in CRZ-1(A), CRZ-1(B) and CRZ-3. Based on this map, the State coastal zone management authority has issued clearance with the condition that no activity be carried out in CRZ-1 areas. However, IRS maps are not approved, and CZMP map shows the entire project site falls in CRZ-1 area, which meant clearance shouldn’t have been granted.
Releasing the documents, retired Madras High Court Justice D Hariparanthaman, and former expert member of the National Green Tribunal, R Nagendran, noted that the creek automatically enjoys protection under Wetland Rules, 2010.
Meanwhile, an open letter endorsed by Environmentalist Foundation  of India, Poovulagin Nanbargal, Ilanthamizhagam and Arappor Iyakkam has been sent to chief secretary seeking to further halt encroachment and declare it as a ‘climate sanctuary’.

The Ennore Creek sees the confluence of Kosasthalaiyar river, North Buckingham Canal and the sea.  Flash dumping has also caused silting of the canal and almost brought to a halt flow into the sea.

The "Save Ennore Creek" movement hopes to do, well just that - save the creek.  In January this year TM Krishna sang the poromboke song as a bid to increase awareness of the dreadful state of the creek.

On another flight back home, I came in over the Adyar estuary.

Beautiful waterways, but where is the mouth?  A huge sandbank means that water (or, what I like to believe is water) really does not flow to the sea.  

In the foreground, is the successful Adyar Poonga project, which has restored one bit (about 58 acres) of the Creek that is part of the estuarine ecosystem.  It has  restored the natural ecosystem and flora and fauna is once again thriving in this little part of the whole estuary.

The green lung of the TS is the saving grace on the southern side of the river bank, while the northern side faces the relentless pressure of development.

As we came down to land, I enjoyed the view of the GNP, and the polo grounds, once again a green space that keeps the pollution levels down and is a precious refuge for urban wildlife.

Idiosyncratic, humid and hot it may be, but it is still home.  Every time I land back, there is that inexplicable joy in the heart that I cannot explain.  More than one more bridge, more than one more mall, I wish our planners show the will to save our waterways, restore the green cover and safeguard our poromboke lands.