CHENNAI: The State government on Wednesday informed the Madras High Court that a permanent stable structure on Pulicat Bar Mouth at a cost of Rs 27 crore has been allotted by the State. The approval for the project has to be obtained from Central government agencies and the construction will begin once the lockdown is lifted, the High Court was informed.
IIT-Madras had made detailed studies for providing a permanent bar mouth opening, and submitted a Detailed Project Report (DPR), J Pothiraj, the special government pleader submitted before the bench. Justices Vineet Kothari and Krishnan Ramasamy were hearing a plea made by a Tiruvallur resident seeking direction to the State to dredge the mouth of Pulicat Lake to ensure free flow of sea into Pulicat lagoon.
Pothiraj also said that once the environmental clearance is obtained from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, the bar mouth will be opened on a permanent basis, which, in turn, will provide for the continuous exchange of waters between the lake and the Bay of Bengal, helping in maintaining the bio-diversity. Recording the submissions, the bench adjourned the plea to six weeks.