Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai   

Several life forms perish in Pallikaranai marsh fire

By P. Oppili

Chennai Aug. 30. Several life forms were killed in a fire, which broke out in Pallikaranai marsh on Saturday afternoon and raged until late tonight.

Labourers working in a portion of the marsh said the fire started when a group of visitors set fire to the typha plant- a typical wetland species supporting the survival of small birds and insects. They first noticed the plants burning at around 1 p.m. and alerted authorities immediately.

The fire not only affected the life forms in the marsh, but also posed a grave threat for the motorists, reducing visibility on the road connecting Perungudi to Pallikaranai. The typha plant supports a number of birds and invertebrates. While the waders use the plant for carrying out breeding activities, the invertebrates make their homes in the grasslands, city-based naturalists pointed out.

They added that there could be two reasons why the plants were burnt - to enhance the visibility of the marsh from the road and also enable people to enter the water body without fear of being attacked by reptiles. Burning of the plant in the marsh was a new phenomenon, naturalists felt.

Interesstingly, the Department of Environment in its first newsletter stated that the marsh area was described as a Reserved Land in February this year- thereby restricting entry of people into the marsh and prescribing penal provisions for violators. However, workers in the marsh complained that in the case of Pallikaranai, the flow of people has only increased since it was declared as a Reserved Land.

While the Government was keen on implementing rainwater harvesting scheme all over the State, little seems have to been done to protect the remaining marsh, a major groundwater recharging unit that helps raise the water table level table in South Chennai. The authorities have to intervene immediately to protect this water body, naturalists urged.

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