South Chennai Member of Parliament (MP) Thamizhachi Thangapandian has urged the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change to accord approval for the proposed project to restore the Pallikaranai Marshland in Chennai.
The MP, met Union Minister Bhupender Yadav along with Madurai MP Su. Venkatesan and submitted a letter, in which she said: “I am writing to you with regards to an important environmental project called, the Improved Resilience of Urban Ecosystem to Climate Change (IRUCC) through Restoration of Pallikaranai Marshland in Chennai. The project has been submitted under the International Green Climate Fund. She posted the contents of the letter and photos of her meeting on Twitter.
The project envisages preventing further degradation of the marsh, improvement and sustainable use of wetland hydrology, eco-tourism and eco-development. The detailed project report of this project has been forwarded by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) to the Ministry. But the project remained pending with the Ministry for approval, she said.
Ms. Thangapandian explained that the Pallikaranai Marshland is a wetland in one of the most critical ecosystems of the country. It is important since it collects excess floodwater and increases groundwater levels in the region, hence, helping in dealing with climate change. It was estimated that a total of USD 38.11 million worth of ecosystem benefits to society is lost due to the degradation of the marshland.
Considering the extreme importance of this project to both local residents and the ecosystem of the area near Pallikarnai, she urged the Ministry to approve the project at the earliest possible.
