Home / Environment / Pallikaranai Marshland: Experts Demand Policy Overhaul
Pallikaranai Marshland: Experts Demand Policy Overhaul
10 Sep
Summary
- An interdepartmental committee is sought for Pallikaranai marshland policy.
- Existing water policy and flood plain zoning acts remain outdated.
- Wetland rules and water data are not publicly implemented or available.
An independent interdepartmental committee is urgently needed to study and implement policies for the Pallikaranai marshland, according to a report by the Pallikaranai Collective. This body, composed of residents' associations, conservation groups, and citizens, aims to address identified policy and legislative gaps.
The Collective's report points to significant issues, including the Tamil Nadu Water Policy from 1994, which has not been updated, and a new draft policy from 2024 that is yet to be notified. Furthermore, a Flood Plain Zoning Act has not been enacted in Tamil Nadu for fifty years, despite a Union government template existing since 1975.
Additional concerns raised include the lack of public access to the Thiruppugazh Committee's flood data report and the ineffectual implementation of Wetland Rules. The Pallikaranai Marshland itself has not been officially notified under these rules. Crucially, data for thousands of tanks and reservoirs in Tamil Nadu is not publicly available, hindering effective water management.
The Collective also demands the demarcation, mapping, protection, and notification of wetlands and their floodplains. They are calling for regular canal maintenance, prevention of sewage contamination, household waste segregation, and the removal of encroachments within the Pallikaranai Ramsar site and its buffer zone.
