- The settlement of claims for local communities inside the Pulicat Wetland and Bird Sanctuary limit raises concerns.
- The state administration intends to denotify a major chunk of the sanctuary and Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) for industrial park construction.
About Pulicat Wetland and Bird Sanctuary.
- Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary is India’s second largest bird sanctuary.
- It divides Andhra Pradesh’s Nellore district and Tamil Nadu’s Thiruvallur district.
- The sanctuary is located along the coast of the Bay of Bengal and covers 759 square km.
- The sanctuary is bordered by the Arani River at its southern tip, the Kalangi River from the Northwest, and the Swarnamukhi River at the northern end.
- Pulicat Lake lies adjacent to the Bay of Bengal and features a sandbar, making it a unique lagoon.
- Sriharikota, known as India’s rocket launch pad and home to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, divides the lake from the Bay of Bengal.
- The sanctuary has 16 island communities and 30 villages.
- bordering the lake, whose residents rely on the lake for a living.
- During the winter, the Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary attracts a huge number of migrating birds including as gulls, terns, plovers, shanks, curlews, and storks.
- Flamingos, pelicans, storks, herons, and ducks all call this place home.
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/concerns-loom-over-damage-to-pulicat-wetland-as-claim-settlement-of-villages-in-the-sanctuary-begin/article68099021.ece