CHENNAI: PMK founder S Ramadoss urged the State government to take measures to adopt resolutions in the Grama Sabha meetings to notify all the wetlands in the respective villages under Wetland Rules 2017, urging the incumbent to keep in mind as the civic bodies are set to convene on March 29 to mark world water day (March 22).
"Even as the world water day is celebrated on March 22, no measures have been taken by the State government to notify wetlands under the rules," the senior leader pointed out in a statement. He added that about 7 per cent of the population of the country live in Tamil Nadu, but the land area of the State is only 4 per cent. "Wetlands cover a mere 3 per cent of the total land area of the State. In Tamil Nadu, per capita availability of water is just 590 cubic meters. This is less than the country's average of 1,508 cubic meters.
If the present scenario continues, the availability of water in Tamil Nadu will be reduced to 416 cubic meters per capita by 2050, he warned.
Saying that climate change has induced changes in rainfall patterns and, drought and extreme rainfall are getting reported, Ramadoss urged the government to protect and improve water bodies on a war-footing.
"All the 34 rivers in the State should be improved, and around 41,000 lakes should be restored to their full capacity. As per the Wetland Rules, conversion of water bodies to other purposes has been banned apart from protecting them from encroachments," he said.
Ramadoss recalled that the Supreme Court directed the State government to demarcate the boundaries of 26,883 water bodies, having an extent of more than 2.25 hectares, on December 11, 2024. “The State Wetland Authority was formed in Tamil Nadu in 2018. But, even after a lapse of 6 years, not a single water body has been notified under the Wetland Rules," he added