Chennai, Sept 7:
PMK MLA Sowmiya Anbumani has urged the Tamil Nadu government to halt the construction of a proposed concrete compound wall and walkway around the Pallikaranai marshland, warning that the project could obstruct the wetland’s natural drainage and increase the risk of flooding.
Sowmiya inspected ongoing works under the Neithal Restoration and Protection Works project at Pallikaranai and subsequently raised objections to the proposed construction.
She said the Rs 21-crore project involves a three-km-long concrete compound wall and walkway around the marshland. According to her, the structure could interfere with the wetland’s ability to store and drain rainwater during the monsoon.
She warned that blocking the natural flow of water could result in water stagnating in residential areas surrounding the marshland and increase the risk of flooding.
Sowmiya argued that a concrete wall was unnecessary for protecting the wetland and suggested that a simple fence would be sufficient. If a walkway was considered necessary, she said it could be constructed outside the wetland.
She questioned the decision to spend Rs 21 crore on a walkway inside the marshland and suggested that the funds could instead be used for cleaning and restoring the wetland.
The PMK MLA also called for a comprehensive conservation plan for Pallikaranai marshland and urged the State government to strengthen its protection.
She further demanded that the government officially notify the area as a Ramsar site, saying the wetland’s ecological and flood-management functions needed to be protected.
Her objections come amid renewed focus on the conservation of Pallikaranai marshland and its role in absorbing and regulating stormwater in southern Chennai.