The Tamil Nadu State Pollution Control Board (TN PCB) is drafting the terms of reference for the creation of a Detailed Project Report (DPR) on the restoration work for the Ennore creek, even as progress on the ground has been minimal.
According to a report by The Hindu, the terms of reference for the creation of the DPR are being drafted and tenders for preparing the Project Report are to be floated soon. The government has allocated Rs 1 crore for the process.
The Ennore creek is an important wetland system located in the Thiruvallur district to the north of Chennai. The wetlands have seen mass degradation as a result of industrialisation.
The forest department has also announced that it has begun restoration efforts with the planting of mangrove saplings in the creek. It is projected to finish planting 20,000 mangrove saplings across the estuary using the innovative “fishbone” restoration model.
The TN PCB had been tasked with restoring the Ennore creek after it was announced that the restoration efforts would be carried out under the Tamil Nadu Sustainable Harnessing Ocean Resources and Blue Economy (TN SHORE) initiative, also known as the Tamil Nadu Coastal Restoration Mission.
Ennore, which saw rapid industrialisation and environmental destruction starting in the 1970s, had received renewed attention after twin disasters in December 2023: a crude oil leak from a CPCL oil refinery had spread across eight villages, affecting around 20,000 people. Weeks later, a leak of 67.6 metric tonnes of ammonia gas from the Coromandel International Limited fertiliser plant hospitalised 44 people.
Although the government had announced a slew of projects for the restoration of the area, most had been abandoned without creating appreciable change. A report released by the Save Ennore Creek Campaign, titled ‘Report Card on Tamil Nadu Government’s Performance on Promised Improvement of Environmental, Health and Economic Status of Ennore-Manali Region,’ said that of 22 projects announced by the state government after 2023, only two had been completed satisfactorily. It had also pointed out that even as restoration efforts lag behind, new industrial projects are underway, including a 22,000-acre industrial township and plans for three new thermal power plants.
