Following reports that Pallikarnai marshland is being further encroached by the government, it has not come to light that seven acres of the marshland is being flattened by dumping construction debris and municipal waste since July 1 to build a regional transport office, according to The New Indian Express.
However, the National Green Tribunal has taken into consideration the photographs sent as evidence by a fisherman IH Sekar and has asked the Kancheepuram Collector to respond to the allegations of encroachment.
Moreover, the tribunal stated that various department officials who are the respondents in the case had not given a reply even after 15 hearings of the case since last August. The tribunal has also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on the Kancheepuram collector and asked the officer to be present in the court during the next hearing, according to The New Indian Express.
Pallikaranai marshland has long been encroached, the marshland is important to drain drain floodwaters and also the few remaining ecosystems in Chennai. The new location of encroachment is Shollinganallur revenue village. The government on January 18, 2013 had given about 2.835 hectares of land for Shollinganallur zonal transport office, reports by TNIE.
The court took notice of the issue and also considered the building materials, municipal wastes which are being dumped, which will affect the environment.
The petitioner Sekar told TNIE that they need to protect what is remaining and restore the water bodies. He added that from July 1, government contractors have deployed heavy machineries to flatten the land and they have flattened about seven acres of marshland.