CHENNAI: Diverting over 73 hectares of waterspread reserve forest area of Kaliveli wetlands into a freshwater storage tank will lead to irreversible ecological imbalance, say ecologists.
The surface and groundwater contamination of Kaliveli lake, as claimed by the State government was not owing to tidal inflow, but due to unregulated large-scale shrimp farming. “In fact, the tidal channel helps Kaliveli lake to drain pollutants into the sea through Yedayantittu estuary,” said M Yuvan, an active member of Madras Naturalists Society.
“The Public Works Department’s (PWD) proposal will cause irreversible damage and drive away the birds. Presence of a wide variety of crustaceans in shallow wetlands attracts birds. They will disappear once the lake is converted into a freshwater storage tank,” he added.
“If freshwater flow from Kaliveli lake into the estuary is blocked, the water will become hypersaline. The oyster beds will destabilise and the overall productivity will dip,” said a researcher from the French Institute of Pondicherry.
Abhishek Tomar, former Villupuram DFO, who proposed to declare Kaliveli lake a bird sanctuary and issued the first declaration under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, told Express that the PWD project will definitely force ecological changes. “A proper scientific Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) must be conducted to understand its impact on migratory birds,” he added. Villupuram DFO Sumesh Soman, who took charge recently, said he will look into the issue.
Reasons to not disturb the wetlands
1 Kaliveli is one of the largest waterfowl congregation sites in TN, and a well-known raptor roosting site for species like Greater Spotted Eagle, Red-necked Falcon and several harriers
2 Grey-tailed Tattler, a rare migratory wader, was recorded only here and in the Pulicat
3Hosts over 30,000 ducks, 40,000 migratory shorebirds
4A proposal to recognise Kaliveli as Ramsar site is pending
5IAn identified Important Bird Area by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and National Wetland Conservation and Management Programme
6A designated Important Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Area identified by WII