Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Environment
Why in news?
The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal has ordered a halt in all construction activity within 1 km of the Pallikaranai Marshland.
Pallikaranai Marshland is a freshwater marsh and partly saline wetland.
Location –Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
It encompasses 65 wetlands through two outlets viz., Okkiyam Madavu and the Kovalam creek and falls into the Bay of Bengal.
Wetland – It is one of the 94 wetlands identified under the National Wetland Conservation and Management Programme (NWCMP).
Ramsar site –In 2022, this marsh was recognized as a Ramsar Site.
Habitat – It has a diverse habitat including large and deep reservoirs with several inlets and surrounding irrigated agricultural fields, which provide good nesting and foraging habitats for birds.
Diverse ecosystem –The marshland supports some 115 bird species, ten mammals, 21 reptiles, ten amphibians, 46 fish, nine molluscs, five crustaceans, and seven butterfly species.
These include notable species including birds such as the glossy ibis, grey-headed lapwings and Pheasant-tailed jacana, and most endangered reptiles such as the Russels Viper, etc.,
Unique feature –The Marsh is so close to the sea and yet not fully estuarine is a unique character indeed.
Although tropical in bio-climate, the influence of the Bay of Bengal has been significant on the Marsh.
Aquatic buffer –It serves as an aquatic buffer of the flood-prone Chennai and Chengalpattu districts.
About 54 large and small satellite man-made waterbodies are located around Pallikaranai marsh which releases surplus water during monsoons.
It plays a vital role in the prevention of flooding for the city of Chennai.
Threats – The Site is threatened by invasive and non-native species, household sewage, urban wastewater and droughts.
Conservation – The Conservation Authority of Pallikaranai Marsh of State Government is currently implementing a site-specific management plan for conserving the marshland.
