Stop the Vedanthangal bird sanctuary from shrinking

Please Wait....

Mail

If you are a human, ignore this field

Form to send email

To:

Shri Edappadi K. Palaniswami

National Board for Wildlife

**Update**

1. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has appointed a panel of experts to run a thorough investigation on whether the Sun Pharma facility close to the bird sanctuary is following proper pollution control mechanisms. This report is due for submission on September 1, 2020

2. In the first week of June, MoEFCC and the NBWL asked the Tamil Nady state govt for a report stating the reasons for allowing an industry to be set up so close to a bird sanctuary. While the state govt did submit a report on the 26th of June, the NBWL was unsatisfied with the response. Currently, the proposal is pending at the SBWL as NBWL has raised an Essential Detail Sought (EDS)

Vedanthangal is a bird sanctuary in the Chengalpattu District of Tamil Nadu. During the migratory season, more than 40,000 birds breed here during winter. Vedanthangal is also home to several migratory birds such as pintail, garganey, grey wagtail, blue-winged teal, common sandpiper, and the like. About 190 species are seen here in total. It is the oldest water bird sanctuary in the country and has been protected by the local community.

Recently, the state wanted to clear nearly 40% of the sanctuary for commercial use and to legalize industries operating unlawfully inside. After much public outrage over this, they changed their proposal to have a 1km core zone, 2 km buffer zone, and 2 km Eco-sensitive zone. The sanctuary currently has a 5km core zone. The State Board for Wildlife has cleared the forest department’s proposal to redraw the boundary of the sanctuary. The proposal has been forwarded to the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) for approval. This proposal dilutes the protection of the sanctuary and threatens the health of the local people and the wildlife here.

Jhatkaa.org in partnership with the Chennai Climate Action Group has created an email template addressed to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and the standing members of the NBWL urging them to maintain the status quo of its 5km core zone and take legal action on the industries operating unlawfully inside.

Send your email now !

Subject (required):

Dear (cc ),

Email body

Dear Shri Edappadi Palaniswamy,  Chief Minister of Tamilnadu 
and Standing members of the National Board of Wildlife

I write to you as a concerned citizen.

The Government of Tamil Nadu had sought the concurrence of the Government of India for its proposal to “reduce the boundary of Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary from 5 km to 3 km in which the first 1 km to be notified as Core Zone including main lake/tank and next 2 km boundary to be notified as a buffer zone and to denotify the outer 2 km zone of the existing 5km.”

After much public campaigning against its move, it has now changed its proposal and seeks to demarcate 1km from the lake as the core, 2km as a buffer, and 2 km as ESZ.

The entire area – 29.51 ha plus 5 km around the tank is an integral part of the Wildlife Sanctuary. For sanctuaries, there is no “core” and “buffer.” But if one were to refer to a “core” that would mean the entire spread of the sanctuary.

The area within the sanctuary – i.e tank plus 5 km surrounding the tank – includes portions of the Valluvapakkam Reserved Forest characterized by dense scrub and the Koliyalam R.F. The Vedanthangal tank derives its life from the larger wetland complex that it is part of, with the Cheyyar River to the north, the Uthiramerur tank to the west and the sprawling Madurantakam tank to its east. The sanctuary limits include within it several tanks, smaller ponds and canals, agricultural fields, and scrub that together provide a variety of habitats that give this landscape the special qualities required to satisfy the scientific criteria of a sanctuary.

The integrity of the catchment and drainage of the Vedanthangal tank and the suitability of the surrounding area is dependent on the vegetation cover and land-use pattern in the region. The present proposal to change the status of the peripheral area of the existing sanctuary (the “core”) will lead to a change in the land use and practices in the said area. This is contrary to the scientific and objective criteria for the management of the sanctuary/wetland complex and will harm not only the birdlife and bird habitat but also overall hydrology in the region, which the local communities are dependent on. It will pave the way for commercialization and industrialization in the region which is at odds with the conservation objectives for the sanctuary.

It is a shocking fact that a number of industries, including Sun Pharmaceuticals, Ordain Healthcare, Amco Batteries, etc, are located within the core area of the Vedanthangal WLS.

On June 9th, 2020, a team did a field visit to inspect the core zone of the sanctuary. During their inspection and interaction with villagers, it was found and confirmed that the ground and surface water of the villages in the core zone have been severely polluted by toxic industrial discharges – resulting in very serious health issues, crop failure, and dire lack of drinking water.

The Wetland Action Plan 2013-2018 for Vedanthangal WLS prescribes a number of measures to reduce the conflict between the Forest Department and the surrounding communities. However, these measures were not implemented by the Forest Department.

We sincerely request you to withdraw the proposal which dilutes the sanctuary’s protection under the law.

A well-managed sanctuary will be a boon not merely for the wildlife but also to local communities who will enjoy the benefits of improved water availability, water, and agricultural security, healthy living environment, and the economic benefits of tourism.

The region has a history of bird conservation by local people. If the government is keen to help them, it should strive to give local communities an active, decision-making role in the management of the Protected Area. The government should build support for the long term water, biodiversity, and livelihood conservation centered around this unique landscape rather than encourage a few profit-seeking industries to wipe it out of existence. The Forest department’s move to shrink the sanctuary is against the principles of environmental protection and local development.

I wish to reiterate that the Tamil Nadu state government should:

a) Withdraw the proposal of the State Forest Department of Tamil Nadu, to declare 1km as core zone, 2km as a buffer and 2 km as ESZ, and direct status quo of 5km core zone of the sanctuary.

b) Direct the concerned authorities to ensure that no activities – such as the operation of polluting industries – are permitted inside the WLS, and initiate inquiries to identify violators and hold errant officials and offending parties accountable.

c) Direct the state Forest Department to implement the Wetland Action Plan.

Yours Sincerely,

You're sending this email as Not you? Click here

First name:

Last name:

Your email address (required):

Recipients will receive your name, email address.

Your personal information will be kept private and held securely. By submitting information you are agreeing to Jhatkaa keeping you informed about campaigns and agree to the use of cookies in accordance with our privacy policy

Pincode (required):

Recipients will receive your name, email address.

Skip this step

Thanks for sending an email!