Pallikaranai marshland restoration: TN gets Union government clearance

Chennai, April 15 The Union environment ministry has given nod to the Tamil Nadu governments proposal to get an amount of Rs 200 crore from the United Nation constituted Green Climate Fund (GCF) for the restoration of Pallikaranai marshland.

It is to be noted that the GCF is a new global fund created by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. This fund, according to United Nations is to support the initiatives of developing countries to combat climate change.

The proposal has to be first vetted by an accredited agency and forwarded to the Union environment ministry, which after studying the proposal, issues a no-objection certificate. After the no-objection certificate is obtained the proposal can be forwarded to the Global Climate Fund.

Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Forests, Government of Tamil Nadu while speaking to said, "The proposal of the Government of Tamil Nadu to restore the Pallikaranai marshland was first vetted by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and after the clearance from Union Environment ministry, it is now forwarded to Global Climate Fund."

The environment department of the Government of Tamil Nadu in a statement on Friday said that the scientific eco-restoration of Palliakaranai marshland is important for the overall wellbeing of Chennai city - be it groundwater recharge or flood mitigation.

The proposal will include the removal of invasive species and introduction of native species. Sewage inlets to the Pallikaranai marshland will be curtailed and steps will be taken to declare the marshland as a bird sanctuary and Ramsar site.

The DMK government has been taking steps to restore wetlands in the state and formed the Tamil Nadu Wetlands mission for this. The government, according to the state environment ministry, is in the process of clearing all waste dump yards that lead to sewage intrusion into wetlands.

Sources in the Tamil Nadu environment department told that 143 waste dump yards would be cleared in the state on a war footing.