CHENNAI: A coalition of 24 environmental organisations has urged the Tamil Nadu government to immediately suspend construction of the proposed Mamallan reservoir and reconstitute the High-Level Technical Committee with independent experts, alleging that the current panel, headed by a Water Resources Department (WRD) official, has a conflict of interest.
In a representation submitted to Rural Development and Water Resources Minister N Anand, Chief Secretary M Sai Kumar, Public Works Department Secretary R Selvaraj and Water Resources Department Principal Secretary Satyabrata Sahoo, the Save Nemmeli Marshlands Collective sought an independent and comprehensive review of the project's feasibility.
The collective said the government-appointed committee, headed by the Chief Engineer (Chennai Region) of the WRD, was examining project documents prepared by the same department. It argued that such an arrangement undermines the credibility and impartiality of the review since the WRD is also the project proponent.
The organisations urged the government to reconstitute the committee by including independent experts, traditional ecological knowledge holders, and representatives of coastal and tribal fishing communities.
They also called for an immediate halt to all construction activities until the reconstituted committee completes its assessment.
The representation contended that the project does not adequately account for the Bay of Bengal's tidal influence and the proximity of the sea, particularly during extreme weather events. It also sought an assessment of the impact of blocking the Buckingham Canal and the project's interaction with the coastal and marine environment.
According to the representation, construction has begun without the necessary studies to justify the investment or evaluate its ecological and socio-economic impacts. It is alleged that the ongoing work has already affected the Kovalam-Nemmeli salt marshes and threatens the livelihoods of more than 12,000 fishers, including tribal women.
The representation has been endorsed by 24 organisations, including the Chennai Climate Action Group, Chennai Wetlands Action Collective, Fridays for Future (Chennai and India chapters), Madras Naturalists' Society, Wetland Conservation Network and Palluyir Trust, among others.