Importance of pallikaranai marshland ecosystem

• Marsh land is to save environment and Ground Water.
• Marshes also improve water quality by acting as a sink to filter pollutant sand sediment from the water that flows through them.
• Marshes and other wetlands are able to absorb water during periods of heavy rainfall and slowly release it into waterway, so it reduce the magnitude of flooding.
• The pH in marshes tends to be neutral.
• Wetlands are the most important of life-supporting ecosystems that have sustained human lives and communities over the millennia.
• Defined as  ‘lands transitional between terrestrial and aquatic systems where the water table is usually the land is covered by standing water that does not exceed 6 meters’.

• Pallikaranai wetland is a freshwater marsh in the city of Chennai, Tamilnadu India.
• Pallikaranai marshland is the only Surviving wetland ecosystem of the city.
• It is among the few and last remaining natural wetlands of South India.
• It is one of the 94 identified wetlands under National Wetland Conservation and Management Programme (NWCMP) operationalised by the Government of India in 1985–86 .
• It is one of the three in the state of Tamil Nadu, the other two being Point Calimere and Kazhuveli.
• The marsh contains several rare or endangered and threatened species and acts as a forage and breeding ground for thousands of migratory birds from various places within and outside the country.
• About 32 million litres of untreated sewage was being released every day at Thorapakkam by Metrowater, which contaminated water quality.
• The Chennai Corporation dumps 2,000 tonnes of waste into the marsh land daily.
• It will be a good experience and will be a great pleasure to enjoy the sunset at evening.

• This marshland is home-shelter for 200 types of birds(approx.).
• It contains 10 mammals, 25 types of reptiles, 50 types of fishes, butterflies, 200 types of plants(approx.) and much more.
• Apart from all to Save Mankind for 50 million people’s living around chennai.

• Today this place contains full of wastage’s.
• Poor quality of groundwater : The quality of groundwater is getting very worse day by day as they garbage being dumped into the waters of the marshland.
• Environmental Pollution : Burning of garbage has always been a serious issue for people and it lead to various health problems.
• Decrease in the estuarine fauna and floras : The marshland served as forage and breeding ground for thousands of birds but we see a sharp decrease in their population because of the dump yard.
• Reduce the effect of natural diastory : Marshland are natural flood-control agents which acts as sponges to trap the flood water, reduces the speed and slowly distribute them over the floodplain.
• “Varda Flood 2015” very known keyword to chennai citizens. Due to this destruction of marshland we cannot restrict the flood like this.
• Velachery, Pallikaranai and Thoraipakkam were among the worst hit areas during the December 2015 floods.
• Experts claim that this was because they were wetlands converted into real estates and sold to IT companies.

Our Tamilnadu government is full responsible to save the resource like this. Is the tamilnadu governement targetting on this ? The Answer is NO.

The main reason for polluting this Marsh land is our state government, Want a proof. Have a look at it below.

• The above details are well verified details, these are all constructed and occupied in marshland by the government and private with government support.
• Still plenty of foreign visitors visiting Pallikaranai Marsh land as tourist place, but they are getting irritated by the way we are keeping it.

Are we awake here...?

So what public expecting Tamilnadu government should do ?.

• Pallikaranai Marsh land is one of the best tourist attractions in Chennai. It spread over more than 250 sq.km.
• State government should consider this as a Tourist attraction not like dump yard, then only our people will have trust on government in this aspects.
• Government need to look at this as a Good Natural Resource, When they look at it this in that way, then only this marsh land will get saved.
• Please see below the emotions and talks from public about this on social media.