CHENNAI: The controversial check dam project proposed by the Public Works Department (PWD) near Kanthadu in Marakanam in Villupuram district could be a non-starter, with the project site falling within the 10-km default eco-sensitive zone of the newly-declared Kaliveli Wetland Birds Sanctuary.
Villupuram District Forest Officer Sumesh Soman has issued notice to the PWD asking not to proceed with the project. The proposal for diversion of 73.75 hectares of forest land was submitted on August 6 by PWD to convert Kaliveli Lake, which is south India’s second largest brackish waterbody after Pulicat, into a freshwater storage tank.
As per official documents, the PWD plans to completely cut off the tidal link between Kaliveli lake and the creek by building a check-dam near Kanthadu in Marakanam to store an estimated 3.5 TMC of rainwater. This apart, a slew of associated projects have been proposed, with an estimated cost of Rs 161 crore.
Upon inspection on September 2, the Villupuram Conservator of Forests in his report noted that the existing wetland has several habitats supporting varieties of flora and fauna. “There is every chance of the entire ecosystem collapsing if the water level in Kaliveli wetland is raised and converted into a lake. It will lead to irreparable damage and entirely submerge many ecosystems that are unique to Kaliveli,” the report said.
Taking the ecological importance of the area into consideration and to maintain the original characteristics of the wetland, the check dam project has to be nixed, a senior forest official told TNIE. The project was proposed during the previous AIADMK government and a G.O. was passed in February last year. Kaliveli lake is one of the designated Important Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Areas (ICMBA) identified by Wildlife Institute of India.
The area regularly hosts over 30,000 ducks, 20,000-40,000 migratory shorebirds and 20,000-50,000 terns in winter. Presence of a wide variety of crustaceans in shallow wetlands here attracts birds. They may disappear once the lake is converted into a freshwater storage tank.