Pulicat fishers, activists oppose move to reduce ESZ

TN forest dept’s move to reduce ESZ from 10 km to 500 mts irks locals
File photo of birds at the Pulicat lake. (Photo | EPS)
File photo of birds at the Pulicat lake. (Photo | EPS)

CHENNAI: Pulicat fishermen and environmentalists on Tuesday opposed the Tamil Nadu forest department’s move to reduce the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) around the waterbody from the default 10 km to 500 meters. Official sources in Tiruvallur district administration and forest department told TNIE that a formal proposal has been sent to the expert appraisal committee of Union Environment Ministry in this regard, but the proposal is yet to come up for discussion. It can be noted that the forest department’s earlier proposal of zero ESZ was rejected by the committee in 2019 and was reported by the Express.

Defending the decision, a senior forest official said the protected area of the Pulicat bird sanctuary in Tamil Nadu, unlike Andhra Pradesh, includes Pulicat lake as well as 13 villages located adjoining the lake where the feeding grounds for the birds is located. There are a lot of patta lands within the sanctuary itself. 
“The distance between the boundary of these villages and the High Tide Line (HTL) of the lake ranges from 450 meters to more than 5 km at certain places.

This zone provides sufficient shelter and buffer to birds. Any new area proposed for ESZ will result in animosity with the local people and that will go against conservation efforts. Hence, there is no ecological requirement of any other buffer area for the conservation of the sanctuary which is only seasonal in nature. Therefore, it was earlier decided not to propose any ESZ for Pulicat bird sanctuary. But, after it was rejected by EAC, a 500m ESZ has been proposed now, which should be sufficient,” the official said. However, local fishermen have disputed this argument. 

“We are surprised that the forest department has failed to take local people into confidence. The current move to reduce the ESZ to 500m is suspicious, as the only parties that are likely to benefit from such a move are companies that wish to take over lands and waterbodies in the region to set up polluting industries,” reads the letter from 15 fisher village committees of Pulicat.

Polluting activities such as ports and harbours are prohibited within the ESZ. Adani’s controversial port expansion proposal has been facing roadblocks as it falls entirely within the current 10-km ESZ. Wildlife activists have also suggested that the forest department’s move may be linked to the government of Tamil Nadu notifying the Ponneri Industrial Township Area within the existing ESZ and covering Ennore-Pulicat wetlands.

The location of this industrial township is contrary to guidelines prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board and principles of wise land-use planning,” said K Saravanan, a environmentalist activist.    
The fishers’ letter urges the expert committee to retain the 10-km ESZ considering that Pulicat lagoon is a wetland of national importance. Pulicat bird sanctuary is shared by Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. 
The Pulicat lake is an Important Bird Area (IBA) identified by the Birdlife International. The site is also qualified to be a Ramsar site.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com