Monsoon watch: Fishers open letter underlines urgent need to clear floodwater blockage

-- by Varsha V.

Last month, the fishers of Kattukuppam, Ennore published an open letter (“a warning and a plea”) to the State government warning of near-certain flooding and inundation in the city due to obstructions in the Kosasthalaiyar river and Ennore backwaters. Addressed to Thiru Ramachandran (Minister, Revenue and Disaster Management) and Tmt. P. Amudha IAS (Principal Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management Department), the missive pointed out that the heavy industrialisation of Ennore and Manali has ­severely impacted the wetlands – the tail end of the Kosasthalaiyar as well as the tidal backwaters all the way upto Pulicat are acutely silted and blocked at multiple points. The reasons are many, poor management having exacerbated the wetlands’ condition over the years. The letter expressedanxiety over this year’s Northeast monsoon – the chief rainy season between October and December, during which the state receives nearly half its annual rainfall – and made the following list of issues that need immediate management.

1. Construction debris from the erection of transmission towers

Construction debris from 13 TANTRANSCO transmission towers – observed to have been erected without permission from the State Government – continues to obstruct the wetlands, though the NGT had called for its removal in November 2022. Similarly, a 2021 High Court directive to TANGEDCO to clear ‘foreign material’ from a river section – including a concrete foundation that impedes water flow and boat traffic – has gone unfulfilled. This particular area, the fishers say, is among the deepest sections of the rivers’ backwaters; yet matters have become such that the riverbed stands exposed during low tide.

2. Blocks in Buckingham Canal

The letter also expressed concerns over blockages in the Buckingham Canal due to the construction of roads. These were reportedly laid to carry out a habitat restoration project; though the work has now been completed, these paths remain unremoved. A section of the Buckingham Canal is also choked with debris and sediment from various construction projects including CMWSSB’s pipeline laying work, the Vallur Conveyor Belt and TANTRANSCO’s transmission towers.

3. Ash discharge

Ash discharge is another pollutant causing congestion and has been identified as an impediment to the flow of floodwater. In July 2022, the NGT had directed the State government to plan for the restoration of the wetlands by December 2022; the administration was to make a detailed plan for the removal of 56.7 lakh MT fly ash choking the river and its environs. However, no progress has been made on this front.

4. Kaaka aazhi, a new infestation

Making matters worse is the appearance of the kaaka aazhi, an invasive species of mussel which the fishers say has arrived with the foreign ships docking at the Kamarajar, L&T, and Katupalli ports. Apart from displacing the local yellow clams and green mussels, the kaaka aazhi (also known as the Charru mussel) have reportedly infested the waters so thickly that they are blocking the tidal flow. A petition filed by an Ennore fisherman on October 3 saw the Water Resources Department assuring the NGT that it will begin to remove the infestation from three sections of the river to facilitate the flow of flood water. On October 30, the NGT’s Southern Bench noted limited progress despite this commitment, observing that “Though it is the duty of the State Government departments to remove the Charru mussel in its entirety, it has taken so much time even to commence the work at the above-mentioned places.”

According to the letter, immediate action on the above will mitigate the duration of flooding in North Chennai, Madhavaram, Manali and Ponneri. As the fishers observe, none of these issues are new. These are longstanding problems, many of whose resolutions have been mandated by law. The affected community deserves an explanation as to why these have not been executed, and a clear deadline as to when they will be. The fishers are regularly called upon each year to help with flood rescue efforts; it would serve the city’s best interests if their wisdom was given a serious ear, too.

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