Chennai:
More
than a year has passed but Tamil Nadu State Wetland Authority has yet
to document the new wetlands in the state and is struggling with the
infrastructure issues.
The
authority, which came into being on May 2016, is now seeking the help
of Coimbatore-based Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History
(SACON) to document 105 wetlands in the state in two phases.
It
is learnt that the list of 105 wetlands was drafted by SACON in 2002.
Sources told Express that SACON will be documenting the 50 wetlands in
first phase and the remaining in second phase. The entire process could
take around two years.
“A proposal has been sent to State Planning Commission which has agreed in principle to fund the project,” sources said.
“Once the Wetlands are documented then a roadmap to protect the wetland will be evolved,” sources added.
As
per Ramsar sites in India, the wetlands of Point Calimere, Kaliveli and
Pallikaranai figure in the list of 26 wetlands in the country. Wetlands
help to retain water during dry season thus keeping the water table
high and during floods they help in reducing flood levels.
Interestingly,
the Tamil Nadu Wetland Authority was formed after National Green
Tribunal in Delhi directed the states to notify the pioritised wetlands
in the states under the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules
2010 and to inform the tribunal of the progress on documenting it.
It
is learnt that the state wetland authority was created to finalise and
approve the management plan of any wetland in Tamil Nadu for the
submission to Central Wetland Regulatory Authority as and when required
and also put in place regulatory and monitoring protocols for
conservation of wetlands in the state.
It
is learnt that most of the wetlands brought during the earlier meeting
of state wetland authority were irrigation tanks and some were used for
drinking water purposes.
Meanwhile,
officials are still struggling with the organisational set up of
authority and now a revised proposal to set up authority at a cost of Rs
385 crore has been proposed. Proposals are also being worked out to
brig the authority to function in society mode. Sources said that
proposals for constituting the wetland authority into a society ha been
submitted to the government for approval.
Factfile:
1. As
per Ramsar sites in India, the wetlands of Point Calimere, Kaliveli and
Pallikaranai figure in the list of 26 wetlands in the country.
2.
TN is now seeking the help of Coimbatore-based Salim Ali Centre for
Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) to document 105 wetlands in the
state in two phases.
3. Proposals have been sent to form District Level Wetland management committees
4. Plans are on to get society status for the State Wetland Authority
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