CHENNAI : In a serious threat to life, loads of chemical effluents and waste oil are being clandestinely discharged into the Buckingham canal near Kattukuppam fishing hamlet at Ennore. The canal water, which is usually black in colour due to mixing of sewage, turned brown on Tuesday morning causing panic among fishermen. When Express visited the spot, it was like a mini oil spill. The water surface was filled with a thick oily substance and its traces were visible all along the canal for two km.
The trouble is the canal water constantly interacts with the ecologically-sensitive Ennore Creek. During low tide, all pollutants drain into the creek which act as crucial fishing grounds for traditional fishermen in the region. The pollutants are pushed inwards during high tide. However, there is no clarity on who is discharging the oily chemical effluents.
The pipeline and gates of a culvert in this area contain residue marks of effluents but no flow was noticed.
M Raja, Kattukuppam fishermen leader, says the problem has been persisting for the last one year, but on Tuesday there was heavy discharge. Fish and prawn catch has drastically reduced. “Already, Ennore Creek is facing threat from illegal dumping of fly ash by thermal power plants and reclamation attempts by other bigger firms. Now, this chemical effluent discharge is crippling our livelihood.”
When contacted, Shambhu Kallolikar, environment secretary and chairman of Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), told Express that the District Environment Engineer (DEE) concerned has visited the spot and is investigating. Officials are suspecting coolant oil discharge from tanker lorries. “Several units of oil companies in the area are also being inspected to find out the source of oil. The inspection will continue on Wednesday,” he said.
Only recently, State government set the eco-restoration of fast-shrinking Ennore creek in motion and the first public consultation was held with the stakeholders in Ennore. National Green Tribunal (NGT)-appointed expert committee in its report had cautioned that any further degradation of the estuarine ecosystem would make several habitats inland vulnerable to the impacts of extreme weather and marine events. The committee had found detectable levels of toxic metals in fish, crab, prawn and oyster/mussel samples.