As the Northeast monsoon intensifies in Tamil Nadu, the fishing community in Ennore has asked the State government to clear blockages and encroachments along the Kosasthalaiyar River and Ennore backwaters.
In an open letter addressed to K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran, Minister for Revenue, District Revenue Establishment, Deputy Collectors for Disaster Management and P Amudha, Principal Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management Department, the fishers point out that these blockages are affecting the health of the Ennore wetlands and could cause flooding in Chennai, if not cleared. While the services of the fishers and fishing boats are called upon every monsoon for flood rescue, no effort has been made to safeguard the livelihood of the fishing community.
The blockages in the water body are due to fly ash from TANGEDCO’s power plants, illegally erected transmission towers, and uncleared debris from the construction of bridges and conveyor corridors. Additionally, the invasion of the waters by alien species such as the Kaaka Aazhi (a species of invasive mussels) has also blocked water flow, the Ennore fishers say.
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Excerpts from the open letter:
This letter is not an appeal to save our livelihoods. We realise that the government is not inclined to safeguard fisher livelihoods. Rather, this letter is a warning and a plea to heed our advice and take the action we outline below to minimise the near-certain impact of flooding and inundation in the event of a normal or intense monsoon. The Ennore Creek and backwaters are dangerously choked. This is the reason floodwaters take a long time to drain from areas such as North Chennai, Madhavaram and parts of Ponneri Taluk.
How to protect the river and prevent flooding
On 3 October 2024, responding to a petition filed by an Ennore fisherman, the Water Resources Department assured the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that it would begin the removal of Kaaka Aazhi from three sections of the river — Kattupalli, Athipattu and Puzhuthivakkam. These sections correspond to sections identified by us between Karukkumaram and Kandachedi Paadu, Kattu bridge and Lock Munai, and the section of river we refer to as Konamudukku, respectively. They said they are doing this to facilitate floodwater flow.
However, this will not be adequate to protect Chennai. For that, the river has to be restored and protected. In July 2022, in a case filed by an Ennore fisher, the NGT directed the government to notify the full extent of the wetlands as a critical wetland, prepare a Detailed Project Report for removal of the 56.7 lakh MT fly ash choking the river and surrounding areas, and for its restoration by December 2022. But nothing has been done on the ground.
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Removing blockages at key hotspots
Reducing the blockage at these spots will reduce the suffering of the people of North Chennai, Madhavaram, Manali and Ponneri during floods.
1. Uncleared Debris from TANTRANSCO’s illegal transmission towers: According to the WRD’s Inspection Report dated July 14 2022, from the Advisory Committee on Flood Risk Management in Chennai, TANTRANSCO built 13 transmission towers with 400 KV capacity each in the backwaters, Kosasthalaiyar, and salt pans (all wetlands) without permission from the Tamil Nadu government. Additionally, 74 towers of 765 KV were constructed before the government order approving the project was issued. Although the NGT ordered the removal of illegally dumped construction debris from these towers, only some of it has been cleared.
Some of the towers have been constructed around Napalayam bridge, near Manali New Town, exactly at the point that Kosasthalaiyar River enters the Ennore Creek merging with the floodwaters from Puzhal Eri’s surplus waters. Between this confluence of high velocity, high-volume water flow and the river mouth, TANTRANSCO has at least nine towers blocking the water’s path.
2. Foreign material not cleared from Konamudukku Kalvai: The river section at Konamudukku, south of the Chettinad Conveyor road cutting across the backwaters, was illegally filled up by TANGEDCO in June-July 2021 using dredged sea sand. The concrete foundation was laid for the erection of pillars for a coal conveyor to the under-construction Ennore SEZ power plant. It was stopped only after our protest at the location. The Madras High Court and NGT intervened based on petitions filed by fishers.
The high court directed TANGEDCO to remove all the foreign material including the concrete foundation that is impeding the flow of water and boat traffic. This work has not yet been completed. Konamudukku River section is among the deepest sections of the river’s backwaters. However, due to the illegal dumping, the river floor in this section is exposed during low tide.
3. Silt from Mun Konamudukku to Kandachedi Paadu: The river section from Mun Konamudukku (north of Chettinad Conveyor Road) to Kandachedi Paadu (about 3 km north of the KPL main gate) is silted up due to sand deposits. This part of the river receives water from the Buckingham Canal through two vettu kaalvais that connect the canal to the river. Waters from the built-up areas of Kamarajar Port, L&T, and Kattupalli ports drain into the canal and then into the river via the vettu kaalvais to reach the sea. Waters from the western side also drain into the river before it reaches the sea. However, due to heavy siltation in this stretch, the water cannot flow freely.
4. Roads blocking Buckingham Canal: Three roads laid across the Buckingham Canal for the CRRT’s habitat restoration project have not been removed, blocking the canal even after the plantations are completed. The locations are:
- About 150m north of Vallur Power Plant’s conveyor belt
- At Kattupalli Wire Kambi Paadu (west of Kattupalli Colony Village)
- South of Bharat Petroleum petrol pump along Kattupalli Road approaching ECR.
Another road laid across the Buckingham Canal by TANTRANSCO for the erection of transmission towers between Nooradi and Puzhudhivakkam Paadu (west of Elliamman Koil) is still intact, even after the tower erection is complete.
5. River blocked for construction of Peripheral Road at Vilamaram Paadu: According to the environmental clearance granted for laying of the Peripheral Road, appropriate provisions must be made to ensure the free flow of tidal water. However, foreign soil and debris are dumped here causing obstruction.
6. Pin Puliyamaram Paadu (South of NCTPS-Athipattu Bridge) to Lock Munai (Vallur conveyor belt): This section is also important from flood water flow, as it is the last stretch of the backwaters before the waters turn east to enter the sea. This section of Buckingham Canal receives water from the heavily built-up North Chennai Thermal Power Station premises, and the excess waters are drained into the main river/backwater through a vettu kaalvai.
This section of the backwaters has unremoved debris and sediment from various construction projects including CMWSSB’s pipeline laying work, debris between columns of the Vallur Conveyor Belt, and debris in and around the bases of TANTRANSCO’s illegal towers.
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7. Manja Machine Kalvai to Jallikuzhi: Manja Machine Kalvai is a natural stream that flows to the river from the Electricity Board’s pump house and joins the backwaters a few hundred metres south of Ash Pipeline Road. However, illegal ash discharge from leaky pipelines and the ash dyke has heavily silted up this river section. According to the Joint Expert Committee appointed by NGT, coal ash deposits, spread over nearly 1,000 acres, are particularly heavy between Ash Pipeline bridge (Jallikuzhi) and Manja Machine Kalvai, impeding floodwater flow.
Hence, we request that these obstructions be cleared given the Chennai floods.
[This is based on a Press Release from the Save Ennore Creek campaign and has been published with some edits.]