PALLIKARANAI MARSH

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Context:

Authorities have collaborated with the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) to investigate multiple locations within the Pallikaranai marshland.

Details

Pallikaranai wetland is a freshwater marsh in the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It is situated adjacent to the Bay of Bengal, and has a geographical area of 1247.54 ha. The marshland is located along the Coromandel Coast south of the Adyar Estuary, serving as an aquatic buffer of the flood-prone Chennai and Chengalpattu districts.  It encompasses 65 wetlands, through two outlets, viz., Okkiyam Madavu and the Kovalam Creek, and falls into the Bay of Bengal. On its eastern periphery, the Marsh is flanked by the Buckingham Canal. 

In ecology, a marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous plants rather than by woody plants. More in general, the word can be used for any low-lying and seasonally waterlogged terrain.

Significance

It is one of the Ramsar sites in India.

Flood Management: Pallikaranai Marsh acts as a sponge absorbing excess stormwater runoff from surrounding areas in the city of Chennai. It collects floodwater thereby playing a vital role in recharging groundwater levels in the landscape.

Source of drinking water: The marsh is also an indirect source of drinking water, for people living around the marsh. It is reported that more than 700-800 tankers extract water from within 3 km of Pallikaranai marsh either by directly pumping out water or through bore wells.  It also supports emergent plant species like Typha sp and Cyperus sp., which play a vital role in water purification.

Biodiversity: Pallikaranai Marsh is a part of the vast Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem. The marsh supports 18 listed species of international conservation significance. It is also a habitat for numerous fauna listed under Schedule, I, II, III and IV of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Livelihood: Inhabitants of seven villages depended on the wetland for subsistence. Their direct economic activities included gathering reed, fishing, grazing, and agriculture.

Threat

Large parcels of the Pallikaranai Marsh have been lost due to reduction of wetland area, fragmentation and adhoc manipulation, destroying 90% of the Marsh.

Must read articles

Groynes, National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR): https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/groynes

RAMSAR SITES IN INDIA AND WORLD WETLANDS DAY 2024: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/ramsar-sites-in-india-and-world-wetlands-day-2024

CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/constructed-wetlands

Source:

https://rsis.ramsar.org/RISapp/files/RISrep/IN2481RIS_2207_en.pdf

https://tnswa.org/pallikaranai-marsh