CHENNAI: The State government is planning to build a start-of-the-art ornithology conservation centre at the newly declared Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary in Villupuram district.
A initial amount of Rs 1 crore under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) has been sanctioned to prepare a detailed project report.
Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary to Government for Environment, Climate Change and Forest Department, visited the bird sanctuary last Thursday.Sahu told TNIE: “We are still conceptualising the conservation centre, but the plan is to have all the resources and materials needed for experts who want to conduct deeper research and for people who want to visit and go back home with beautiful memories.”
Villupuram district forest officer Sumesh Soman said the centre would mainly have a veterinary care centre to treat the injured birds. “We have received the government order only a week ago. We are planning to have a library, Augmented Reality interpretation centre, eco-tourism booking point, etc. The building will be close to ECR road.”
The Kazhuveli wetland system is one of the largest waterfowl congregation sites in TN, and a well-known raptor roosting site for Eastern Imperial Eagle, Greater Spotted Eagle, and Red-necked Falcon. The Grey-tailed Tattler was reported in the country only here and in Pulicat. The sanctuary is connected with Yedayanthittu estuary and Uppukali creek, an Important Bird Area, identified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the National Wetland Conservation and Management Programme.
The previous AIADMK government had proposed to construct twin fishing harbours in Yedaiyanthittu estuary, but the projects were stalled by the National Green Tribunal owing to ecological concerns.
M Yuvan, an active member of the Madras Naturalists Society and petitioner in NGT case, said Kazhiveli was ecologically contiguous with the Yedaiyanthittu bar mouth where it met the sea. “The commercial harbour proposed can block the Uppukali creek, destroy the seagrass meadows, oyster reefs, and salt marshes here and trigger erosion. This is bound to have a great impact on Kazhuveli wetland health and birds. It’s important to protect the entire coastal wetland — the bar mouth, the creek, and the lake area", he said.