As one enters the ELCOT Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Sholinganallur and travels 1.5 km on the straight road and exits through its back gate, there stands a building of the Tamil Nadu Forest Department.
Early in the morning on Wednesday last week, a group of around 25 people gathered near this building for a walk organised by the Care Earth Trust (CET). The modest building, which stands in contrast to the high-rise buildings of multinational companies in the SEZ, is the office of the Conservation Authority of Pallikaranai Marshland.
The group was gearing up for a walk through the Pallikaranai marshland, or to be precise, what’s left of it after rapid urbanisation destroyed a majority of this crucial wetland system.
For instance, the 377-acre SEZ campus one has to cross to reach the Forest Department’s office was once part of the wetland. So were the Greater Chennai Corporation’s dumping yard in Perungudi, two major roads connecting Old Mahabalipuram Road and Tambaram-Velachery Road, campuses of the National Institute of Ocean Technology, the National Institute of Wind Energy and a few other buildings.
What was once believed to be a 6,000-hectare area of marshland, which acted as a floodwater drain for around 250 square kilometres of South Chennai, measures only 700 hectares now.
Just before the walk begins, Seetha Gopalakrishnan, a senior project associate with CET, distributes a sheet with illustrations of different plants and birds that thrive in the wetland.
Pointing to a bunch of tall grass-like plants, N. Muthu Karthick, a trained taxonomist, says the easiest identifiable indication of a wetland system is the presence of reeds. One of the three children in the group shout in excitement upon spotting a plant illustrated in the sheet, getting curious and questioning why the plant thrives in the marshland.
Ms. Seetha and Mr. Karthick explain with enthusiasm. “If it is a wetland, why is the area not fully green and has lots of brown patches,” another child asks. Mr. Karthick explains that the wetlands undergo a magical transformation during the monsoons. “You cannot recognise that it’s the same place you are seeing now. It will look like a cluster of ponds,” he says.
That is also the time when migratory birds come. Vinoth Balasubramanian, a biologist studying the avian ecology in Pallikaranai marshland, asks everyone to close their eyes and listen to the bird calls. He helps the group identify the birds based on their calls. “There is a heron over there,” he says, pointing in a particular direction.
The marshland supports around 160 species of birds, of which little egret, pond heron and spot-billed pelican are the most common. The group is enthused to spot pelicans and little egrets at a distance. Apart from the variety of species of plants naturally found in the wetland, the Forest Department has also planted trees to help the birds, particularly the migratory ones.
As the group walks further, the children and the many adults excitedly cross off more species mentioned in the list as and when they spot one with the help of the guides. As it approaches 8.30 a.m., the group decides to return to the start with many having to get back to their busy daily lives, away from the temporary reprieve in the marshland, which is critical to sustaining that same urban life.
Padma Venka, an elderly woman from Besant Nagar, says the walk has been an eye-opener for her, helping to understand and appreciate this hidden treasure trove of biodiversity. “This gives a sense of belonging to the city and the importance of such spaces,” she says, adding that she wants to talk to her grandchildren about the place and create awareness.
Jayashree Vencatesan, managing trustee of CET, says while Chennai must have had a number of such wetlands in the past, all of them have been lost to urbanisation. Although fragmented and a majority of the area having undergone irreversible changes, she says Pallikaranai marshland is the last remaining wetland in the city.
While it underwent rapid destruction in the early 2000s, thanks to the efforts of non-governmental organisations and the government, there is a strong commitment to protect what’s left of it. Ms. Vencatesan says while Pallikaranai marshland was already protected, its recognition as a Ramsar site will further improve its conservation. “No land can be diverted for any purpose, and there will be continuous monitoring,” she adds.
