Chennai forest department has banned three sanctuaries as no-go zones for real estate developers
INDIA: Chennai : Forest department has declared areas around three sanctuaries — Vedanthangal, Karikili and Pulicat, as no-go zones for real estate developers and banned any kind of real estate ventures in and around these areas.
A team of forest officials led by forest range officer R Dhanasekaran explained the restrictions on new constructions and repair of existing structures within 5km of the three sanctuaries to residents, elected representatives including Panchayat presidents and village administrative officials of 20 villages, at a meeting organized by the state forest department in Vedanthangal bird sanctuary on Sunday.
The restrictions are meant to ensure that there will be no change in land pattern around the sanctuaries because, forest officials said, such changes could stop birds from migrating to the sanctuaries and play havoc with their migratory patterns.
Some of the migratory birds that flock to these three sanctuaries are the Little Cormorant, Night Heron, Grey Heron, Spoonbill, Little Egret, Large Egret, White Ibis, Cattle Egret, Pintail, Common Teal, Pond Heron or paddybird, Shoveller Duck, Dabchick, Indian Moorhen, Darter or snakebird, Grey Pelican and Open-Bill Stork.
Thandarai, Karunkulazhi, Mangalam, Nellavai Kutt Road, Rettamangalam, Vaiyyur, Perumbakkam and Vellaputhur are among the villages where the restrictions will come into place.
"We organised the meeting on the instructions of wildlife warden V Karunapriya. Such meetings will be held continuously and we will monitor activity in these areas to prevent violation of the restrictions," said Dhanasekaran, forest range officer of the Vedanthangal, Karikili and Pulicat bird sanctuaries.
There is a general lack of awareness in these areas, even among village heads and village administrative officers, on laws and rules to protect the environment, animals and birds.
The state's department of town and country planning (DTCP) had in August 2011 issued a notice to a developer for not obtaining prior permission to construct a farmland resort less than half a kilometre from Vedanthangal bird sanctuary. The DTCP also sent a notice to Vedanthangal village panchayat president Vasanthi Lakshmi for approving the plot.
The area around a bird sanctuary is usually wetland. "Areas near the sanctuaries are also feeding and breeding grounds for various birds," said S Saravanan, chief education officer, World Wildlife India (Tamil Nadu chapter). "Migratory birds regularly visit sanctuaries only after checking for regular availability of water and identifying if they are suitable for breeding. Such areas should be protected."
Apart from real estate ventures, restrictions also placed on construction of factories, industrial units and mining in the three sanctuaries. The restrictions are based on a Supreme Court order and instructions from the National Board for Wildlife (NBW) prohibiting any non-forest activities in areas around all sanctuaries.