Chennai: The draft Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2016, which will replace the Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules of 2010, are likely to turn detrimental to remaining deltas, marshes, lakes, backwaters, ponds and other low-lying water clogged environmental hotspots in Tamil Nadu.
The draft released recently by Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC) has already sent shock waves among conservationists and green groups across the state. The new draft which allow state governments to decide what they must do with their wetlands may ultimately spell doom for the receding wetlands in the state, especially on Chennai’s outskirts.
“The new draft in the name of decentralisation of conservation of wetlands does not fix any accountability on state governments, nor provide any criteria like ecological diversity or presence of mangroves in the protection of wetlands. It rather comprises a complex set of stipulations, which vaguely mention prohibited activities.
As far as Tamil Nadu government is concerned, wetlands have been categorised as waste lands. They have already been handed over to the revenue department since there is a huge need for lands in the State for industrial development. Wetlands are the immediate victims of industrial aspirations of the State,’’ says environmentalist Nityanand Jayaraman. Coastal wetlands are under more threat. In Chennai, places like Ennore and Cheyyur have a lot of wetlands and the new draft does not talk about protection. Instead, it has made rules more industry friendly, he said.
The new draft is a threat to the city, which still has not recovered from the aftermath of last year’s floods. The main reason for destruction of wetlands is unsustainable development and indiscriminate setting up of coal and thermal plants. Infrastructure projects, poor solid waste management and encroachments are also killing wetlands.
“Wetlands are traditionally used by civil society mainly for irrigation, fishing and for use of cattle. The different stake holders for protection of wetlands have not been consulted while drafting the new plan. The Centre has withdrawn from the responsibility of conserving wetlands which they are bound to, under the Ramsar Convention,” says K. Mohan Raj, secretary, Save Coimbatore Wetlands Society. Green activists unanimously slammed the new rules saying they can jeopardise wetland conservation in the country.
