High tide line tampered with for industrial benefit, allege activists

Activists say public records available with the Save Ennore Creek Campaign raise serious doubts on whether the Institute of Remote Sensing (IRS), Anna University, has altered the High Tide Line in Ennore Creek to accommodate its client, Kamarajar Port’s proposal for a controversial ‘Free Trade Warehouse Zone’ inside the wetland.

Pooja Kumar, researcher with Coastal Resource Centre (CRC) said that the discrepancy in the HTL is evident in the map prepared by IRS for TANGEDCO in 2014-15 when compared with the one prepared in 2017 for Kamarajar Port. “The map that the IRS prepared in 2017 has a shorter HTL, leaving all these areas open to development. The 2015 NCTPS map shows two canals, measuring 400 meters and 190 meters, running through the area demarcated for the construction of a ‘Free Trade Warehouse Zone’. However, the 2017 KPL map presents the two canals measuring just 160 meters and 113 meters respectively.

The map prepared by the same agency for two different organisations show discrepancies in the HTL. That cannot happen - HTL cannot be made-to-order.

If projects are approved based on maps with incorrect data, it is legitimisation of encroachment. Kamarajar Port’s expansion project, if approved, will expose more than 10 lakh people to a higher risk of flooding, including around 2 lakh people in RK Nagar, Ponneri, Madhavaram and Tiruvottiiyur constituencies,” said Pooja.

The Campaign alleged that the state, Centre and scientific bodies are colluding to push KPL’s proposal, and harm Ennore Creek. On November 29-30, KPL’s proposal comes up for reconsideration at the Expert Appraisal Committee (Infra-2), Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. Despite a direction by the Chairman of the EAC to conduct a site visit and enquire into allegations against KPL, the EAC is going ahead with considering the proposal.

Residents of Ennore said that their voices have not been heard, despite staging protests. Srinivas Rajesh, a fisherman, said, “It seems that the government is not bothered about the people.

This tampering of HTL only shows that industries are of importance to the government.

To grant clearances in such an underhand way is very unfair of the government, and is against the interest of people.”

Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, Kanimozhi visited Ennore on Monday, and interacted with the residents, who poured out their problems, ranging from the pollution caused by the dumping of fly ash, to the lack of schools and basic amenities in the locality. After meeting the residents of Seppakam village, which is closest to the fly ash dumping site in the Ennore Creek, Kanimozhi pointed out that biodiversity is at threat here due to indiscriminate pollution by many. The MP, who tweeted about her visit added, “Institutions such as the IRS affiliated to the Anna University are reducing the high-tide line, due to which more eco-sensitive places will be encroached. But those who suffer will be the public. It is important for the government to act, especially since there is a crucial meeting on November 30. The authorities should visit the area and assess the situation here.”