PAC Books by Other Publishers 1

Home , Adyar River, Ambattur Lake, Buckingham Canal, Cooum River, Pallikaranai Wetland, Pulicat Lake

A Civil Society Perspective

44. The Paradox of India’s North-South Divide – Lessons from the States and the Regions (Samuel Paul, Kala Seetharam Sridhar), 2013. 45. Contribution of the Urban Poor: Pilot Studies from Chennai and Bengaluru, India (Kala Seetharam Sridhar and A.Venugopala Reddy), 2014.

PAC Books by other Publishers 1. Holding the State to Account: Citizen Monitoring in Action (Samuel Paul), Books for Change: 2002. 2. Who Benefits from India’s Public Services? (Samuel Paul, Suresh Balakrishnan, K. Gopakumar, Sita Sekhar, M. Vivekananda), Academic Foundation: 2006. 3. State of Urban Services in India’s Cities (Kala Seetharam Sridhar, A. Venugopala Reddy), Oxford University Press India: 2010. 4. State of Our Cities: Evidence from Karnataka (Samuel Paul, Kala Seetharam Sridhar, A. Venugopala Reddy, Pavan Srinath), Oxford University Press India: 2012.

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71 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu

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1 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu

Public Affairs Centre

Public Affairs Centre (PAC) is a not-for-profit organization, established in 1994 that is dedicated to improving the quality of governance in India. The focus of PAC is primarily in areas where citizens and civil society organizations can play a proactive role in improving governance. In this regard, PAC undertakes and supports research, disseminates research findings, facilitates collective citizen action through awareness raising and capacity building activities, and provides advisory services to state and non-state agencies.

Environmental Governance Group The Environmental Governance Group was formed within the Centre in 2010 to address the governance issues in environment and climate change affected areas. It was set up with a vision to improve the quality of life of the poor and marginalized sections of society in the environmentally affected coastal, highland, semi-arid and arid regions in India. The group aims to improve the security, ecological sustainability and climate resilience of various livelihoods and livelihood groups through its efforts. Thematic Areas üüü Action Research – developing Climate Change Score Cards, and Climate Change Monitoring tools. üüü Capacity-development of different interveners in environment and climate change focusing on good governance and improving social accountability. üüü Networking - by building regional and national coalitions on environmental governance. üüü Creation of policy dialogue platforms. üüü Knowledge Management through a Resource Centre within PAC on environmental governance.

2 A Civil Society Perspective

Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu A Civil Society Perspective

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PUBLIC AFFAIRS CENTRE

3 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu

Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu: A Civil Society Perspective ISBN: 978-81-88816-26-2

Public Affairs Centre (PAC) is a not for profit organization, established in 1994 that is dedicated to improving the quality of governance in India. The focus of PAC is primarily in areas where citizens and civil society organizations can play a proactive role in improving governance. In this regard, PAC undertakes and supports research, disseminates research findings, facilitates collective citizen action through awareness raising and capacity building activities, and provides advisory services to state and non-state agencies.

Public Affairs Centre No. 15, KIADB Industrial Area Bommasandra – Jigani Link Road Bangalore 562106 India Phone: +91 80 2783 9918/19/20 Email: [email protected] Web: pacindia.org

Some rights reserved. Content in this publication can be freely shared, distributed, or adapted. However, any work, adapted or otherwise, derived from this publication must be attributed to Public Affairs Centre, Bangalore. This work may not be used for commercial purposes.

Cover Design: Rajiv M.V. Printed in Bangalore at National Printing Press

4 A Civil Society Perspective

Contents

Abbreviations 6 Acknowledgments 7 Executive summary 9 Introduction 12 Environment Concerns in Tamil Nadu 19 Land and Water pollution 22 Agriculture 25 Impact of Industries 27 Forest and Biodiversity 32 Coastal Issues 35 Urbanization 40 Other Pertinent Environmental Concerns555 46 Environmental Impact on Livelihood and Health 48 People’s Movement to Safeguard Environment 54 Recommendations and Way Forward 57 Glossary of Terms 64

5 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu

Abbreviations CSO Civil Society Organisation GoTN Government of Tamil Nadu IT Information Technology IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources MNC Multi-National Corporation MRTS Metropolitan Railway Transport System MSW Municipal Solid Waste NGO Non-Governmental Organisation NRM National Resource Management PCGTN People’s Coalition for Green Tamil Nadu PWD Public Works Department RHA Rice Husk Ash SEZ Special Economic Zones SoE State of Environment Report SPCB State Pollution Control Board TDS Total Dissolved Solids TNPCB Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board TNPL Tamil Nadu Newsprints Limited TSDF Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility VAT Value Added Tax WHO World Health Organization Note: Tuticorin and Ramnad are the Anglicised versions of Thoothukudi and Ramanathapuram, respectively.

6 A Civil Society Perspective

Acknowledgments

PAC would like to express the deepest appreciation to all the lead organisations representing each of the regions in Tamil Nadu, that have played a key role in bringing the key issues of environment by harnessing support from various CSOs, networks and other resource organisations and individuals. Without their constant help this report would not have been possible. I thank Dr. Parivelan who coordinated with all concerned organisations and individuals for compiling a comprehensive document. I thank the team representing CSOs and People’s Coalition for Green Tamil Nadu who presented the draft document to the Ministry of Environment and Forest, GoTN, for their feedback and their attention to address the growing environmental issues in Tamil Nadu. I also thank the EnGG team members, Arvind, Prarthana, Ritwika Basu and other PAC team members for support at various stages in bringing out this publication. I also thank Suresh, Director, PAC for his encouragement, guidance and support to make this report into a publication and his constant guidance to the growth journey of EnGG and its team. 777 I also want to thank to IDRC-TTI and ANSA-SAR for their financial support in bringing out this publication. J. Jangal PAC–EnGG

7 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu

8 A Civil Society Perspective

Executive Summary

The realm of environment is complex and challenging; therefore it needs coordination between State and civil society in addressing them comprehensively. It is already accepted that one of the major sources of climate change, environmental degradation, and subsequent resource crisis is our present mode of production and consumption. The human-induced environmental degradation includes industrial pollution, deforestation, urbanization and such other factors. A major aim of the report is to provide the civil society perspective that will help drive the future environmental governance agenda for Tamil Nadu. It could be a reference for both government and civil society. A further aim is to inform and stimulate community debate on significant environmental issues that confront Tamil Nadu. The information in the report is structured around several major environmental themes and presented in 12 chapters: (i) Introduction; (ii) Environmental concerns in Tamil Nadu; (iii) Land and water pollution; (iv) Agriculture; (v) Impact of industries; (vi) Forest and biodiversity; (vii) Coastal issues; (viii) Urbanization; (ix) Other pertinent environmental concerns; (x) Environmental impact on livelihood and health; (xi) People’s movement to safeguard environment; and (xii) Recommendations999 and way forward. The Introductory chapter deals with the formation of ‘People’s Coalition for Green Tamil Nadu’ (PCGTN), now renamed as Coalition for Environmental Governance (CEG), which is a collective of individuals, civil society organisations, community-based organisations, think tanks, workers’ unions and other organisations that have come together with common cause to advocate for a greener Tamil Nadu. This chapter cites the context, the division of Tamil Nadu into five zones background for this report, objectives and methodology which are mainly from observations and primary sources collected by civil society members of PCGTN and through secondary data consisting of reports, newspaper articles, internet sources, etc. It is to be noted that this report is not an exhaustive one but covers certain preliminary observations. The report has its own limitations due to resources and time. It needs further research and follow-up.

9 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu

Based on the State of Environment Report (SoE), Tamil Nadu, the second chapter captures the main environmental issues as highlighted in the report. It includes agriculture, biodiversity conservation, water and sanitation, urban and industrial impacts. Moving on from the environmental themes the third chapter dwells on land and water pollution which are crucial for sustainable development. Issues such as increased salinisation, inadequate/ ineffective storage of water, drinking water (decrease in availability), surface water (decrease in availability), drop in groundwater tables, urbanization (bore wells) and polluting industries, tanks and canals (neglect and pollution) due to distilleries are discussed. Agriculture being the mainstay of India’s millions, environmental concerns loom large threatening productivity and livelihood of farmers. Therefore, the fourth chapter highlights factors leading to decline in fertility of soil, declining agricultural food cultivation, diminishing agricultural land, land alienation and overuse of chemical fertilizers. The fifth chapter on the impact of industries talks about the causes of pollution and its effects in various zones and then moves on to deal with Tamil Nadu Special Economic Zone, which is followed by forced relocation due to setting up of power plants and the problem of land-grabbing. These issues are taken up in this chapter to show the gravity of the situation in which greedy industrialisation leads to. Forest and bio-diversity themes are clubbed and presented in the sixth chapter which covers issues endangering flora, deforestation and eco-tourism. The notable forest reserve of Nanmangalam and the problems confronting it are also discussed in this chapter. Coastal issues is the seventh chapter and it highlights marine pollution, destruction of marine bio-sphere, vanishing wetlands, coastal regulation zones and its problems, impacts of ports and fishing harbours and importance of mangrove forests, which act like a bio-shield. A detailed description of issues confronting urbanisation is the eighth chapter and it includes the reasons for increasing slums, increasing need for solid waste management in Chennai and other urban areas, issues in dumpsite, risk of floods, destruction and degradation of water bodies, pollution in waterways, contamination of sewage water and mindless sand mining which is increasing on a large scale. Other pertinent issues such as the cyclone and its environmental impacts and compliances to non-biodegradable substances are dealt in the ninth chapter. Environmental impact on livelihood and health is the tenth chapter and it deals with the plight of the fishing community, diversion of irrigation water, air pollution woes and encroachment of Pallikarnai marsh land, precarious slums and sand mining in the Palar River. This chapter also highlights groundwater pollution in Chennai’s peri-urban villages, alternative livelihoods, displacement, pollution and ailments. The chapter finishes with safeguarding habitation and problem of contract farming which thrives and exploits both land and people. 10 A Civil Society Perspective

Environmental protection and preservation falls under the responsibility of the State, but it does not mean that people should be mute spectators. The eleventh chapter therefore highlights a few cases under the ‘People’s movement to safeguard environment’. Chapter twelve which is the final one contains recommendations and suggests the way forward. This chapter makes a series of recommendations for action in order to see improvement in the environment scenario of Tamil Nadu over time. Some of them are general and can be taken up on a long term, while others are specific and call for urgent action.

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11 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu 1

Introduction

In the post-restructuring period of Indian economy (since 1991), the environment agenda is gaining momentum which is impacting natural resources, biodiversity, flora and fauna, etc. It is a matter of great importance to take stock of the recent socio-economic developments as well as the state’s initiatives to derive the present scheme of things in relation to peaceful co-existence of man and nature. In this regard, one of the important landmarks in the environment history of India is the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The main objective of this Act is to provide the protection and improvement of environment (which includes water, air, land, human being, other living creatures, plants, micro-organism and properties) and for matters connected therewith. The Act provides power to make rules to regulate environmental pollution, to notify standards and maximum limits of pollutants of air, water, and soil for various areas and purposes, prohibition and restriction on the handling of hazardous substances and location of industries. In relation to this Act there are two main legislations - one pertaining to air and other to water - which also contribute to the regulation and protection of environment. The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 as amended in 1987 aims to prevent and control air pollution and preserve the quality of air. As per the provisions of the Act, the State of Tamil Nadu is declared as an ‘Air Pollution Control Area’. The Board monitors industrial emissions through regular inspections of the air pollution control measures provided by the industries. Ambient air quality surveys / stack emission surveys are conducted to assess the quality of the emissions let out. Water pollution is being prevented and controlled by enforcing the Water Prevention and Control of Pollution Act 1974 as amended in 1988. The TNPCB categorizes the polluting industries into three, viz., Red, Orange and Green with reference to seriousness of water pollution. The industries which are highly polluting the atmosphere have to obtain letters of consent to ‘establish’ and ‘consent to operate’. Globally, the 2011 Report — Sustainability and Equity: A Better Future for All — states

12 A Civil Society Perspective that environmental sustainability can be most fairly and effectively achieved by addressing health, education, income, and gender disparities together with the need for global action on energy production and ecosystem protection. The report also argues that official transparency and independent watchdogs — including news media, civil society and courts — are vital to civic engagement in environmental policymaking. In addition importance has to be given to climate change which is a complex phenomenon, and its full-scale impacts are hard to predict in advance. Overall, it can be deducted that climate change impacts our water resources, energy supply, transportation, agriculture, and ecosystems. For example, health-wise the impacts are a significant increase in the risk of illness and death related to extreme heat; certain diseases transmitted by food, water, and insects, and vulnerable groups which include children, the elderly, and the poor, being susceptible to a wide range of climate-related health effects. The above impacts will result in significant costs to individual families and the economy. Moreover, fast growth of production and consumption can create negative externalities such as increased noise and air pollution and road congestion. To sum up, environmental damage can have a negative effect on the quality of life and limits the State’s sustainable rate of growth. Keeping the above as a background it is to be noted that environmental concerns in Tamil Nadu have also been attaining paramount importance due to its effects on nature and human beings. The fire incident in Pallikarnai garbage dumb area,1 in Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu state, stands as a glaring example of how human settlements, marsh lands with its birds and animals suffer for many days2 with no respite and a stark reminder to take countermeasures to protect the environment. It is to be noted that the Tamil Nadu Government has been keen in taking up efforts to address environmental issues in the state. For instance, its Social Development Report 2000 identified land degradation, biodiversity, air pollution,131313 fresh water resources and hazardous waste management as major issues that affect the state.3 In addition, bringing out a comprehensive State of Environment Report in 2012, forging ahead with an Environment Policy in 2012, and inviting suggestions from public and civil society organisations involved in protecting and promoting the environment are noteworthy. By ‘environment’ this study connotes water, air, and land and the inter-relationship which exists among and between water, air and land and human beings, other living creatures, plants, micro- organisms and property. Therefore, it can be rightly said that the Tamil Nadu Government has been moving in the positive direction fulfilling its obligation of a responsible State in

1 Burning Garbage chokes Pallikaranai, Sunday Times of India, Chennai June 10, 2012. 2 Strong winds fan Pallikaranai fire, The Times of India, Chennai, June 12, 2012. 3 Tamil Nadu Social Development Report 2000 (6d. Environment). 13 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu conformity with the existing constitutional provisions for environmental protection. Article 48A of the Indian constitution, specifies that the State shall endeavour to protect and Article 51A speaks of improving the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country and every citizen shall protect the environment. This report is an initiative from the civil society perspective which has played a catalyst’s role in identifying certain pertinent environmental concerns which affect bio-diversity, health and livelihoods of people in Tamil Nadu which can add up to the ongoing efforts of Tamil Nadu Government. Background Civil society agencies have been playing a crucial role in pointing as well assisting to pinpoint the critical areas concerning human development, environment protection, and sustainable development. Therefore, in order to create a mass awareness as well corresponding duties to protect and preserve the environment of Tamil Nadu, need was felt to identify and bring in perspective key environmental issues and concerns. As a result, prior to the May 2011 State Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, a Green Manifesto idea was mooted by a group of likeminded civil society organisations working in environment and related fields led by Public Affairs Centre (PAC), Earth Smiles and Peoples Action for Development. It is to be noted that during elections, whether it is to the Parliament or to the State Assembly or local bodies, political parties contesting the elections come out with their own political manifestos, which seldom address the pressing environmental issues either in a partial or comprehensive manner. The idea of a ‘Green Manifesto’ which intends to address the emerging environmental issues and also to set an agenda for solving those issues at the policy level is a unique and novel attempt on environmental policy advocacy. By circulating the Green Manifesto4 under the collective civil society banner called ‘People’s Coalition for Green Tamil Nadu’5 (PCGTN) was able to secure the support of some of the political parties. The Green Manifesto was released through press conferences at Thoothukudi, Ramanathapuram, Salem and Chennai, respectively.6 The major themes of the Green Manifesto are: (i) Promoting sustainable agriculture; (ii) Protecting the coast; (iii) Making cities greener and cleaner; (iv) Checking irresponsible industrial development; (v) Conserving forests and upholding tribal rights, and (vi) Forging

4 Refer A Green Manifesto for Environmental Governance published by PAC for more details. 5 This PCGTN was spontaneously named and formed during the first formal civil society gathering ‘Round Table to Evolve Green Manifesto’ on 13 March 2011 at Chennai. The PCGTN and the counterpart from Puducherry decided to have common coalition called as ‘Coalition for Environmental Governance’. 6 Refer A Green Manifesto for Environmental Governance published by PAC for more details.

14 A Civil Society Perspective a green future focusing on broad rubrics such as pollution, conservation and natural resources. However, each of these continues to have sub-themes as represented in Figure 1.1:

PCGTN is a dynamic and organic body formed voluntarily by environmentally conscious civil society organisations through a Round Table on Green Manifesto.7 The chief objective of PCGTN is to promote green governance in Tamil Nadu through increased community participation. In taking forward the agenda of promoting green governance, PCGTN has embarked upon identifying environmental issues affecting people directly/indirectly throughout Tamil Nadu. This initiative was intended to collate pertinent environmental issues in Tamil Nadu zone-wise. Accordingly, Tamil Nadu was divided into North, South, East, West and Central Zones. Each zone was assigned to a group of organisations from that region, with one among them taking the lead to identify environmental issues in their zone. In this connection the following districts were covered by the respective civil society members of PCGTN.8

151515

7 First formal meeting of PCGTN was held at EarthSmiles Meeting Hall at Chennai on 11 March 2011. 8 As per PCGTN meeting held at Thiruchirapalli, organsied by Kudumbam- LEISA network, held on 24

15 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu

People’s Coalition for Green Tamil Nadu –Zone-wise Coverage of Districts East West Districts Member NGOs Districts Member NGOs Nagappatinam Bedroc Salem VRDP Cuddalore SNEHA Erode DEEPS Villupuram CREED Krishnagiri Island Trust Thanjavur CASA Coimbatore CSED Thiruvarur Namakkal RESCUE Tirupur Nilgiri North South

Districts Member NGOs Districts Member-NGOs Chennai Earth Smiles Ramanathapuram PAD Thiruvallur Shabnam Toothukudi TRRM Kancheepuram Resources Tirunelveli CPFS Vellore Sustain Kanyakumari PPED Thiruvanmalai C-DOT Madurai Britto Central BARF Virudhunagar Districts ISED – TALU Sivagangai EGSS

Central Districts Member NGOs Tiruchirappalli LEISA– Dindigul Kudumbam Karur TRD Villupuram AHIMSA Ariyalur WDPS Pudukotai Manushi Perambalur PSSS Theni INDO Trust NEEDS – CARE

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Objectives The objectives of the study were as follows: 1. To identify the environmental issues in consultation with the NGOs/ CSOs who are committed to addressing the environmental issues. 2. To search and obtain data/details from various secondary sources such as study reports, media reports/ articles in respective assigned districts. 3. To collect qualitative evidence from the field in the form of case studies - people’s experiences; focused group discussions; key environmental issues affecting people’s life and livelihoods and community’s knowledge to highlight the seriousness of the issue. 4. To prepare a status/position paper based on the region’s environmental issues which could be later be compiled into an expanded position paper on the environmental issues of Tamil Nadu. Methodology Inputs from grassroots organisations were sought from the selected districts on various environmental issues that are specific to their districts. Issues that are of primary importance to the people and immediate in nature were given importance. Additionally, information was collected from the popular press on various green issues. Experts’ reports, research documents were consulted in finalizing the environment concerns. All the issues that were identified as a part of the study were done so with certain evidence and scope for action. Limitations One of the major limitations of the study171717 is that the issues identified are not final or an exhaustive one. Only major thematic issues region-wise were identified. Further, the study is only representative of environmental concerns of the grassroots. While a broad and in- depth study is more desirable, financial constraints coupled with shortage of human resources had limited the study in many ways. Criteria for identifying key environmental issues are w Degree of seriousness, and the number of people affected.

w Specific to the region.

w Immediacy/urgency of the issue. w Poorly or not addressed by ongoing environmental efforts by the government or civil society/ others. 17 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu

w Most actionable: Whether one can take action over the concerned environmental issue without too much difficulty at the local/state level. w Based on impact on people and their livelihoods. A Brief Note on the Core Team BEDROC: Building and Enabling Disaster Resilience of Coastal Communities (BEDROC) is successor to the Nagapattinam NGO Co-ordination and Resource Centre (NCRC). It helps build disaster-resilient, sustainable coastal communities. It is working with communities and organisations at grassroots level, and with external communities like research institutions, higher government bodies, universities and technology providers. EarthSmiles is working towards promotion of sustainable natural resources management (NRM), climate change adaptation, biodiversity promotion, community-based disaster risk reduction issues, and promoting ‘green clubs’ in schools among other issues. It is engaged in knowledge networking, information exchange and practical action vis-à-vis environment. It aims to bring in green governance through increased people’s participation. Kudumbam LEISA: Kudumbam is functioning since 1982 and is involved in rural development with specific focus on facilitating sustainable agriculture alternatives. It has been working for the revival of organic farming procedures by converting farmers into resource farmers who join hands as stakeholders and make sustainable development possible in villages. Working as a catalyst for development at the farmer-community level, it strives to achieve the widest possible impact targeting those areas with greatest unmet needs in organic agriculture, farming and sustainable livelihood. Peoples Action for Development: PAD is a social organisation that aims to improve the people’s situation in the Gulf of Mannar region through various democratic and community-based means. Having this goal in mind, a committed and flexible 60-member staff is operating from three field offices, which are located closely to the target communities along the coastline. Amongst the various activities of PAD are community organisation and development, natural resources management, gender and development, animal husbandry, savings and credit, information generation and dissemination to needy people and community-based disaster risk management (CBDRM). Public Affairs Centre (PAC) is a not-for-profit organisation, established in 1994 with a mandate to improve the quality of governance in India. The focus of PAC is primarily in areas where citizens and civil society organisations can play a proactive role in improving governance. In this regard, PAC undertakes and supports research, disseminates research findings, facilitates collective citizen action through awareness-raising and capacity-building activities, and provides advisory services to state and non-state agencies.

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Environnent Concerns in Tamil Nadu

The Tamil Nadu Government has brought out a report titled State of Environment (SoE) Report of Tamil Nadu which elaborately describes environmental protection laws, legislations and activities to preserve and utilise the environment without damaging flora and fauna. This chapter highlights some of the major environmental concerns pointed out in the SoE Report, which will serve as a background to subsequent chapters dealing with civil society reports that explore effective remedies through sustainable development policies and practices. Agriculture Analyzing the land use pattern of the state by SoE, it was found that 43 percent of Tamil Nadu’s geographical area is under agriculture with a per capita figure of 0.0982 ha. of agricultural land. While agriculture and allied sectors account for nearly 62 percent of the total employment of the state, their contribution to economy is only 22 Percent. In order to increase the productivity the state governments relied too much on improved crop varieties, fertilizers and pesticides. The residues of these have affected soil structure and polluted the water through leaching.191919 Bio-Diversity Conservation The Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve is a very important biodiversity region of the East Coast. The wetland biodiversity includes approximately 40,000 tanks and 56 dams and reservoirs. The important wetlands are Pichavaram mangroves, Muthupettai mangroves, Pulicat Lake, Point Calimere sanctuary and other bird sanctuaries. In recent years, with the introduction of powerful dredging, draining and earthmoving machinery the conversion of wetland to farmland has become particularly profitable. The draining of wetlands not only eliminates wildlife, but also increases storm water surges and lowers water tables. Equally important is Western Ghats global biodiversity hotspot renowned for their flora and fauna; along with the eastern Himalayas, these mountains and valleys hugging the 19 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu

Arabian Sea coast for a length of 1,500 km need an overarching protection regime that cares as much for the tribal people they have sheltered as for their biological diversity.9 The advice of the expert group to ban the environmental clearance for two controversial dam projects — Athirapilly in Kerala and Gundia in Karnataka - affecting millions of flora and fauna needs to be taken seriously. In the context of Indian Biodiversity Act, 2002 we need to strengthen the biodiversity institutional mechanisms at state, district, block and panchayat levels with effective biodiversity board/committees and biodiversity registers. Water and Sanitation Issues Studies show that more than 60 percent of the groundwater is already exploited. Hence the tapping of groundwater is a major area of concern. There are 16 river basins in Tamil Nadu. Of these 10 basins are “deficit” basins while six basins have surplus water. In all the basins there are some areas or pockets or blocks, which are identified as potentially deficit areas due to low rainfall, formation factors, topographical factors, water quality problems. Regarding domestic consumption, both the quality and quantity of water are already under pressure and the increase in population may push the resources to scarcity. Therefore, there is a decline in availability of water resources and usage for domestic consumption as pointed by the SoE report. In addition, most of the civic bodies, irrespective of their population and status do not have the facility for treating and recycling sewage and resort to letting it flow into the rivers. This causes groundwater pollution and also becomes breeding places for mosquitos and other parasites affecting public health and causes outbreak of epidemics. Much of the water-borne diseases are the result of polluted water courses. The Census 2011 figures on the state of sanitation in Tamil Nadu present a grim picture with little improvement from the previous decade. Even today, 45.7 percent of the state’s population resort to open defecation due to the absence of proper sanitation facilities.10 The situation is worse in rural areas where only two percent of the population are covered by the pipeline sewerage system. As a result, over 73 percent of rural population defecate in the open. Even the state’s Total Sanitation Scheme, introduced in 2006, has failed to change the practice of open defecation. The worst-affected though are the peri-urban areas. Due to rapid urbanization, many villages close to big towns and cities have transformed into suburbs with movement of people from towns and cities to these peri-urban areas. As former villages, the areas have no sewerage system and also lack open spaces for building proper sewerage systems.

May 2011. 9 The Hindu, Chennai January 03, 2012. 20 A Civil Society Perspective

It is interesting to note that according to a recent UN University report11 India has approximately 545 million working cell phones and that number exceeds the number of people who have access to toilet or sanitation facilities - only about 366 million, or 31 percent of the one-billion-strong population. “It is a tragic irony to think that in India, a country now wealthy enough that roughly half of the people own phones, half cannot afford the basic necessity and dignity of a toilet,” said Zafar Adeel, Director of the UN University. Urbanization and Industrialization The State of Tamil Nadu ranks as the second highest urbanized state in the country. As urbanization process marches ahead trade and industrial sectors make strides. The cities attract more people to move from remote rural areas to towns or cities, which are pulsating with activities. It is estimated that over 85 percent of leather produced in the country is produced in Tamil Nadu. Today, the annual turnover of the industrial sector including tanneries, shoe factories, garment and leather goods making units is Rs. 4, 500 crore, of which Rs. 2, 750 crore is income from exports. During 2000-2001 export of leather and leather products has reached a figure of Rs. 9,000 crore against Rs. 6,952 crore during 1999- 2000. Along with these the general environment concerns regarding pollution of water, land and air are pertinent. There are 1,961 highly polluting industries in Tamil Nadu, located within one km of specified water sources. As per the order of the Honorable Green Bench of the State Pollution Control Board issued directions for closure and stoppage of power supply to 926 industries, which have not applied for consent of the Board. Out of the 1,020 units, applied for consent, the Board has issued directions to 308 units, which have no effluent treatment plants to close down.12 Among these, tanneries and textile-bleaching and dyeing units are predominant. Air pollution has been aggravated by developments that typically occur 212121due to industrialization, increasing traffic, rapid economic development and higher level of energy consumption. The high influx of population to urban areas, increase in consumption patterns and unplanned urban and industrial development has led to the problem of air pollution.

10 45 percent in Tamil Nadu defecate in open-March 15, 2012, The Times Of India, Chennai. 11 http://www.oppositionnews.com/english/links/news_detail.php?gid=4&nid=330. 21 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu 3

Land and Water Pollution

Increased Salination Land degradation because of increased salination is one of the main environmental concerns of Cuddalore and Nagapattinam districts. Being at the tail-end of the delta region, the gradient is almost non-existent. This essentially means that when, during the non-monsoon period, there is no basal flow of water in the irrigation and drainage canals, sea water flows inland through these canals during the high tides, salinising the fields and the soil. With the increase in the tidal inflow this intrusion is sometimes coming in more than three kilometres inland affecting farm lands. Salination either through the overflow of saline water from the canals or through capillary action from underground is either forcing farmers to leave more and more tracts of land fallow or is leading to increased input costs through additional application of fertilizers. Inadequate/ Ineffective Storage of Water In Cuddalore and Nagapattinam districts, the repairs and maintenance of the bunds, the canal beds and the various physical structures that regulate the flow of water through these canals are not taken up in a holistic or phased manner. The poor maintenance of these canals results in overflowing of the water into the fields leading to flooding and destruction of crops during the rains and salination of the land when the flow is backward from the coast. The worst is the loss of precious water which, due to poor maintenance of the tanks and bunds, is lost and cannot be used for irrigation purposes as was planned. Drinking Water - Decrease in Availability Availability of potable water is fast becoming an issue to be reckoned with in northern regions such as Chennai and also in certain districts like Cuddalore and Nagapattinam. Depleting water tables and increasing salination are the major causes for this. Water is being procured from private water suppliers at the rate of Rs. 3 to 4 per pot containing 8- 10 litres of water. Each family pays out about Rs. 20 per day for drinking water alone.

22 A Civil Society Perspective

Surface Water: Decrease in Availability Being in the Cauvery Delta, both Nagapattinam and Cuddalore regions are fed by the tributaries of the Cauvery and have a profusion of irrigation and drainage canals which carry the required water for irrigation from the Mettur Dam reservoir. Water is released late and is inadequate, thereby affecting the agricultural requirements of the tail-end farmers. In addition, mindless sand mining in Palar and Ponnai rivers also contributes to the depletion of groundwater resulting in poor irrigation affecting food production. Drop in Groundwater Tables Almost all farmers in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam spoke about the fall in groundwater tables. Water which was available at less than 10 feet from the ground about 15 years ago is now unavailable even at 50 to 100 feet. The Central Ground Water Board has already warned that almost all blocks of Cuddalore and five blocks in Nagapattinam are over- exploited and have warned the districts from providing any more sanctions for deep bore wells. A study13 on the effects of sand mining in the district of Cuddalore has revealed that due to sand mining externality, the water table has gone down and, to offset this effect, the farmers have been increasing the horse-power of their motors. Thus, investment has been increasing in the sand mining block in all farm-size categories. Its repercussions have been reflected in the economic performance of sand mining blocks in terms of higher annual costs and unit costs of irrigation. Studies show that more than 60 percent of the groundwater is already exploited. Hence the tapping of groundwater should be monitored. Statistical information shows that there is a considerable increase in the number of wells in the river basins of Tamil Nadu. To avoid over-mining, recharge of ground water should be facilitated during flood periods by means of construction of percolation ponds,232323 check dams and small weirs across the streams. Urbanization – Bore Wells and Polluting Industries14 Since the early 1990s, with the proliferation of multi-storied residential and commercial apartments, scores of bore wells have been sunk. There are no official statistics regarding wells and bore wells within the city. When an effort was made in 1995 to update the data on wells and bore wells in the city, it met with strong resistance from vested interests and was quietly abandoned. There is a serious and urgent need to amend the Groundwater

12 State of Environment Report, Government of Tamil Nadu, p. 77. 13 R. Selvakumar, R. Venkataraman* and K.R. Sundaravaradarajan, Effect of Sand Mining on Economic Performance of GroundwaterIrrigation in Cuddalore District of Tamil Nadu, Agricultural Economics Research Review, Vol. 21 July-December 2008 pp 183-190. 23 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu

(Registration) Act. Punishment needs to be made more stringent, beyond very nominal fines. Tamil Nadu is not endowed with perennial rivers. Its rivers are seasonal and mostly originate in the neighbouring states. Rapid industrialisation is taking place along the Cauvery’s course. Industries are concentrated near the Mettur and Bhavani dams. Vaigai, Palar, Noyyal, Bhavani, Thamirabarani and the Amaravati rivers, which are the very life-lines of millions of people, are highly polluted as the chemical wastage of industries drains into them. These industries include textiles, chemicals, distilleries, paper and sugar. Tanks and Canals – Neglect Neglect of tanks and canals by long-term non-desilting as well as illegal occupation and exploitation of these for commercial and industrial purposes have played havoc with the water system in Tamil Nadu, leading to vast amounts of rain water running into the sea. Pollution Due to Distilleries15 The distillery sector is one of the 17 categories of major polluting industries in India. These units generate large volumes of dark brown-coloured wastewater, which is known as spent wash. Spent wash contains high organic pollutants such as Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and Chemical Oxygen Demand. Thus, the distillery wastewater causes serious pollution problems in the recipient water bodies when discharged, resulting in depletion of dissolved oxygen in water and adverse effects on aquatic life – fish, phytoplankton, etc. It is ironical that in cities like Chennai “bottled water” culture has become part and parcel of everyday life.

14 Tamil Nadu Social Development Report 2000. 15 ZENITH International Journal of Business Economics & Management Research Vol.2 Issue 5, May

24 A Civil Society Perspective 4

Agriculture

According to a recent study done16 the average size of landholding for India as a whole is 4.5 acres per reporting household; it is only 2.8 acres in Tamil Nadu (Indian Human Development Report of 1999). In addition, the study points out that the fast growing trends in the sphere of land alienation disturb agriculture livelihoods of the state. Recent trends, which call for immediate intervention, are: i) Declining gross cultivable area; ii) Increasing area under cultivable waste, and iii) Diversion of cultivable lands for non- agricultural purposes. Factors Leading to the Decline in Fertility of Soil17 Fertility of land is steadily decreasing. Erosion of top soil, use of chemical fertilizers, industrial waste pollution, monoculture practices, use of tractors, and absence of summer- ploughing contribute towards depletion of micro-organisms in soil, making the land unfertile. Many people fear that Tamil Nadu is undergoing a process of desertification. There are various factors which contribute to this process. The Prosopis Juliferra, a thorny tree, is spreading everywhere in Tamil Nadu. This tree, sucks out the groundwater and destroys the fertility of the soil. The lands252525 covered by these trees become unfit for cultivation; desertification starts at this stage affecting the livelihood of the people. Declining Agricultural Food Cultivation The central part of Tamil Nadu is responsible for more than 50 percent of the food produced in the state. Contract farming in the form of sugarcane for ethanol production, maize for cattle feed industry, eucalyptus and casuarina plantation for paper industry

2012, ISSN 2249 8826 Online available at http://zenithresearch.org.in 16 S. Balanarayanan and Dr. K. Vetrivel, Environmental Degradation And Human Welfare: A Critical Study, ZENITH International Journal of Business Economics & Management Research, Vol.2 Issue 5, May 2012, ISSN 2249 8826 Online available at http://zenithresearch.org.in/ 17 Unheard Voices Of The Marginalised Majorities In Tamil Nadu by Joint Action For Sustainable 25 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu now covers 35 percent of area which was once under food production.18 But, now the plantation is shifted to cultivable lands and even to most fertile lands. Hence, there is a fear of the possibility of food crisis in future among farmers. Farmers know that food crop cannot be cultivated after growing eucalyptus and casuarina. The cultivation of these species has drastically depleted groundwater, enhanced salinity, reduced the biodiversity and has contributed to an increase of pest resurgence in the neighbourhood. Diminishing Agricultural Land In Nammakal district, agriculture lands were converted to non-agricultural purpose for construction of educational institutions. Similarly, in Salem and Thoothukudi vast stretches of agricultural lands are sold for real estate development.

Land Alienation: Impact of Large-Scale Land Sale to Companies19 Total cultivable land in Pottipuram Panchayat is around 1,500 acres. Since 1980s Sterling Company has started buying lands in bulk. Now, Sterling Company has 900 acres of land (60 percent of total cultivable land) and the remaining 600 acres is with 20 farmers. Around 270 small and marginal farmers have sold their lands. Social Impact or consequences: When superficially looking into the issue, one does not find any fault in somebody buying someone’s land, but when big companies with profit motive acquire land on a large scale, definitely it has serious consequences in the livelihood of entire villages or communities. In this particular village, after Sterling bought 900 acres of land, 60 percent of the farming community, their lifestyle, livelihood and choices in farming totally changed. Minor millets are vanishing fast changing their eating habits, lowering their nutritional level, and affecting their health. Growing teak wood and casuarina in the Sterling farmlands, has brought down their water table and changed their cropping pattern. The fencing of company land has curtailed the movements of villagers and limited the area of grazing land available for their cattle.

The situation mentioned above is increasing day by day. Fertile agricultural lands are being acquired for SEZ and industrial parks. This issue is dealt elaborately in the next chapter. Overuse of Chemical Fertilizers In Coimbatore district the over-use of pesticide and fertilizers in tea and coffee estates in Valparai areas has severely damaged the soil. Krishnagiri, Nilgiris and Thoothukudi districts also face acute problems pertaining to over-use of chemical fertilizers thereby resulting in contamination of the fertile soil.

Livelihood (Jasul). 18 Study on the impact of contract farming on the livelihoods of small and marginal farmers in Central Tamil Nadu, by Kudumbam-LEISA network 2011 as part of PCGTN study.

26 A Civil Society Perspective 5

Impact of Industries

Cases of Pollution and Its Effects In Chennai there are 14 major industries located in the Ennore-Manali areas. The industries at Manali and Ennore are mostly chemical based, manufacturing petrochemicals, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, paints, etc. There are two power plants at Ennore, namely, Ennore Thermal Power Plant with a production capacity of 200 MW and the second in north Chennai with a production capacity of 600 MW. The fly ash is continuously deposited in the sea. The industries at Ennore-Manali are using a wide variety of raw materials and discharge waste products into the air, water or land as gaseous emissions, liquid effluents and sludge, respectively. In the coastal area of Tamil Nadu 488.02 MLD of waste water is generated and only 226 of MLD is treated. Contrary to claims by Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board that pollution in Manali was within norms, an air sample taken by Chennai-based Community Environmental Monitoring and youth volunteers of the Manali Environment Protection Committee found that the air contains dangerously high levels of chemicals, including benzene that causes blood cancer among children,272727 and ethanol – another cancer-causing chemical. Benzene was found 25 times higher than safe levels. Seen together with residents’ complaints about the ever-present air pollution in Manali, the results indicate that Manali air may not be fit to breathe.20 In addition, a study conducted in Manali and Chrompet industrial areas in Chennai show that 33 percent of sample had nitrate greater than 100 mg/l. In Kancheepuram, the TNPCB that started cracking the whip by demolishing illegal dyeing units in northern districts by razing over 100 of them in the past few months has turned the focus on dyeing units, both cotton and silk, discharging effluents into the Vegavathi and Palar rivers.21 Information collected through RTI from the TNPCB found

19 A case study by Dr. Marimuthu from JASuL. 20 ‘Manali Air Not Fit to Breathe’, CHENNAI, 28 September, 2005. 27 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu that there were 122 dyeing units, 68 cotton and 74 silk units, causing water pollution in the town and the effluents are directly discharged into the municipal drains illegally by most units. Those in Pillayarpalayam, Chinna Kancheepuram and Ammankara Theru discharge effluents through sewerage pipes to Nathampet tank. In another northern district, namely Vellore, a major leather-processing centre in Tamil Nadu, with an estimated 50,000 tannery workers and has 75 percent of Tamil Nadu’s tanneries and 53 percent of India’s tanneries.22 Elevated chromium concentration in the effluents from tanneries poses a serious environmental concern in Vellore district, home to innumerable small and large-scale tanneries. Ranipet, an industrial zone present in the bank of Palar River was reported as the most polluted rivers of the world by Blacksmith Institute in 2006. The tolerance of soil bacteria to heavy metals has been proposed as an indicator of potential toxicity of metals to other forms of life.23 The high pollution level of the Palar is because the tanneries are completely dependent on the river for their fresh water used in the production processes. Everyday hundreds of tankers transport fresh water to the tanneries and all the effluent is directed back to the riverbed. The Palar River bed is dry most of the year because it is a seasonal river. It stirs to life every year during the monsoon. When the river is devoid of water the riverbed is quarried for its 15 feet of sand. Palar is the primary source of drinking water for the residents of Vellore. But those who live in this city made famous by the super specialty hospital, Christian Medical College, say that the clear water of Palar has turned into blood red. A local environment group, Pasumai Thayagam, affirms that the red toxic water has destroyed sources of potable drinking water in various localities of Vellore like Ambur, Vaniampadi and Ranipet.24 Increasing levels of pollution in Cuddalore is also another area of environment concern. Fast-paced industrialisation in Cuddalore and poor monitoring of the effluent treatment and disposal are being badly affecting most of the water bodies and water cannot be used for any purpose. The untreated or inadequately treated effluents from Neyveli Lignite Corporation, chemical factories of Sipcot, and numerous other factories, small and large, featuring more than 300 in number are destroying water bodies in Cuddalore. In the western region of the State comprising Erode district, there are a number of stone quarries which blast detonators 20 to 25 times every day. This causes the buildings to shake, damages the agricultural land, pollutes the nearby villages and destabilizes the ecological balance in the area. There are also many paper recycling companies around Bhavanisagar. These companies recycle the waste paper bought from Thoothukudi

21 http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Chennai/article2126754.ece. 22 http://pasumaithaayagam.in/major-milestones.html . 23 Journal of Environment and Earth Science,2(2):112 - 117,2010.

28 A Civil Society Perspective harbor by using large quantity of underground water. Thus, the agriculturists do not get sufficient water for cultivation and are affected by these activities. In Salem district, mining activities undertaken by the MNCs like VEDANTA, Jindal, Sanmar and MALCO pollute the environment and deplete the mineral resources in the area. The lands in that area have become useless for any agriculture development or human development. In Mettur area, the chemical wastes, fluoride emissions, thermal power plants and the effluents of SISCOL Company are depleting and polluting the groundwater and soil condition. More than 200 sago factories release effluents in Vasita and Suvetha rivers. The industrial town of Tirupur in the western region is notorious for the effluent discharge from its dyeing factories along with the noise pollution due to textiles industry. A similar situation prevails in Nammakal district where noise pollution and industrial waste prevail because of textiles and power looms situated in the area. There are also many paper recycling companies around Kabilar Malai. For instance, Sago factories pollute the water bodies in Rasipuram and Namagiripettai areas and sand mining in Kolli hills for Bauxite effects the surrounding areas. In Krishnagiri, situated in the western region, noise and air pollution arising out of the granite industries is common due to the prevalent use of high explosives. In Coimbatore district Industrial dust pollution from Madukur ACC cement factory, pollution and bad smell from perfume factories in Karamadai areas and pollution of the river Bhavani by KG DENIM Company are also evidences of environmental degradation. Tamil Nadu Special Economic Zone – Bottle Necks A Special Economic Zone (SEZ) means a specified area within the territory of a State of where regular regulatory practices such as remittance restrictions are not applicable.25 It is the State government that has encouraged the setting up of many SEZs in Tamil Nadu. The reason for this is the fact292929 that SEZs help bring in money and also create employment opportunities for many people. Tamil Nadu Special Economic Zone is being set up in the state and as a result of this the number of SEZs is bound to increase. The various places where SEZs are being set up in Tamil Nadu are Hosur, Thoothukudi, Ennore, Tirunelveli, and Vandalur. SEZs that are being set up in the State would accommodate companies from various sectors such as information technology, garments, automobile, pharmaceuticals, engineering industries, and leather goods. The various incentives that the State government gives to Special Economic Zone include a single window clearance,

24 http://www.tehelka.com/story_main13.asp?filename=Ne071605Tanneries_pollute.asp. 29 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu exemption from taxes such as turnover tax, sales tax, and VAT for the developers of SEZ and the units within, waiver of registration charges and stamp duty on land transactions. But, on the other side, an audit spanning six districts of the state shows that the government is acquiring land for setting up special economic zones (SEZs) and much of this land is being acquired by intimidating farmers or by preventing them from selling their land through a freeze on land registration. These were the findings26 of a public audit carried by civil society groups on October 24 and 25 by a panel comprising Supreme Court advocates, academics and social activists. The findings, presented in Chennai on October 26, 2009 said land acquisition for SEZs in Tamil Nadu is in violation of the state government’s industrial policy of 2007 that guarantees fair and open process of acquisition without coercion. In another incident thousands protested against the SIPCOT Industrial Park in Thervoy Kandigai village of Thiruvallur district amid presentation of fraudulent and inadequate data by SIPCOT consultants in a public hearing. SIPCOT has forcibly acquired 1,127 acres of meikkal poromboke land (grazing land) under Thervoy Kandigai panchayat which for hundreds of years has been a common property resource for the villagers. In 2008, even the forest department had planned afforestation in the area under social forestry. Despite gram sabha resolutions against land acquisition, innumerable protests, including illegal detention of protesting villagers, government of Tamil Nadu and SIPCOT had gone ahead and acquired the land in the area. Michelin, the French tyre company, and other industries including glass manufacturing companies are proposed to be set up in the acquired land. The Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment reports based on one seasonal data collected by Annamalai University and ITCOT (EIA consultants for SIPCOT), were challenged by the villagers. According to the villagers the acquired land is a source of water and an important watershed of the region, which supports agriculture — the main source of livelihood. EIA reports state the land is being maintained as a community forest by the people under a community management programme. These reports question the classification of such land as poromboke. The clearing of shrubs, mangroves, cashew and casuarina plantations by TIDCO for the petrochemicals complex has directly affected the lives of 2,250 families in Kattupalli panchayat and the clearing of shrubs, mangroves, cashew and casuarina plantations in Pulicat area by TIDCO for the petrochemicals complex has directly affected the lives of 2,250 families in Kattupalli panchayat.27

25 http://sharesmarkets-today.blogspot.in/2008/11/tamilnadu-special-economic-zone.html. 26 Is this state sponsored land grab?, Down to Earth, November 30, 2009 (online).

30 A Civil Society Perspective

Likewise in Tiruvannamalai one of the northern districts, Lotus footwear SEZ is being set up and, as a consequence, dalits were forced to part with 40.5 ha gifted to them by the government. Forced Relocation due to Setting up of Power Plants Five power plants are coming up on the coast of Nagapattinam and land is being acquired for this purpose at an average of about 300 acres per power plant. This is leading to relocation of people who have been residents for the last five to six generations. In addition to this it is also encroaching on to agricultural lands. Land-grabbing In central Tamil Nadu, Tamil Nadu Newsprints Limited (TNPL) has established an area of 2,734 acres under captive plantation scheme and 37,556 areas have been covered under farm forestry scheme involving about 8,235 farmers in 15 districts of Tamil Nadu. Captive plantations are raised in the lands belonging to the company, Government departments, educational institutions and in large land holdings of minimum 25 acres in single block belonging to the participating farmers. The land would be taken either on long lease panning over a period of 15 to 30 years or on revenue-sharing basis. In the case of revenue-sharing, the benefits would be shared between the company and the landowners subsequent to the harvest at an agreed ratio. TNPL has established 10 regional offices in Karur, Manapaarai, Tirunelveli, Karaikudi, Pudukottai, Namakkal, Trichy, Tanjore, Jayagondam and Panruti in the State and provide advice and technical assistance for wasteland cultivation through eucalyptus and casuarina. Some farmers see it as a great threat to food security because, previously, only barren lands were allotted for eucalyptus cultivation. But, now the plantation is shifted to cultivable lands and even to most fertile lands. A resonating fear of food crisis in the future is seen among the313131 farmers. Farmers know the limitation posed by prior cultivation of eucalyptus and casuarina on food crops. The central part of Tamil Nadu is responsible for more than 50 percent of the food produced in the state. Eucalyptus and casuarina used by paper industries have now occupied about 35 percent of the area which was once under food production. Eucalyptus and casuarina have drastically depleted the groundwater, enhanced salinity, reduced the bio-diversity and has resulted in an increased vulnerability to pest and pest resurgence in the neighborhood.

31 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu 6

Forest and Biodiversity

Biological diversity or biodiversity is defined as the variety and variability among living organisms from all sources, including inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems. The Chennai district is not endowed with many forest resources except the Guindy National Park, a reserved forest about 270 ha in extent. Besides its forest vegetation, different water plants are seen in the lakes and ponds inside the park. The per capita forest area in the district has declined from 0.00021 hectare in 1951 to 0.0007 hectare in 1966, which is mainly due to population growth.28

Nanmangalam – a case for conserving bio-diversity Nanmangalam in Kancheepuram district is one of the 16 reserve forests on the city fringes and form the Tambaram forest range. Spread over 320.92 hectares, Nanmangalam is a shrub forest with eucalyptus trees over nearly 100 hectares and has around 1,500 species of flora and fauna and over 60 species of birds. The forest, which once housed a shooting camp for the army, had been a quarry. That stopped three years after the passing of the Forest Conservation Act in 1982, disallowing quarrying in reserve forests. But now, it has turned into a dump yard and a den for anti-social elements. There are no fences to demarcate the reserve area. The entire stretch is policed by a watchman and a ranger on a motorbike and another on foot. More than 300 people, especially from the nearby slums have been using the place for open defecation for years endangering birds and insects, which have to feed in the morning.29 In a recent development - first of its kind in Tamil Nadu - the state Government has given permission to replace the decade-old steel fencing with a concrete wall, a pilot project costing Rs. 2.5 crore.30

27 Asha Krishna Kumar, Pulicat in peril, The Frontline, Volume 17, Issue 12, June 10–23, 2000. 28 Office of the Wildlife warden, Chennai. 29 http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com_Nanmangalam

32 A Civil Society Perspective

Plant Endangering Other Flora On the other side in another northern district of Tiruvannamalai, Australian acacia, an invasive tree species found in abundance in Tiruvannamalai hill is perceived as a threat since it causes several problems.31 First, it rapidly spreads and dominates over indigenous flora. Given a chance, it would eat into bio-resources of the hill to a great extent. Second, phyllode litters strewn on the earth do not decompose easily; they do not allow other plants to germinate from underneath and may contribute to easy forest fire. Similarly, in Ramanathapuram the spread of Prosophis Juliflora is posing problems to the growth of other plant species. Deforestation and Its Negative Impact In the western region of the district of Nammakal there is severe deforestation in Kolli hills, which is matter of grave concern. Coimbatore in the same region also faces a similar problem, where trees are removed paving the way for concrete buildings in the name of resorts. In Nilgiris the destruction of forests has resulted in drying of streams and fountains. Other impacts which need immediate attention: w Deforestation has also led to animal migration from forests to rural and peri- urban areas. w Tribal communities are attacked or killed by the wild animals frequently.

w Frequent landslides are occurring due to felling of trees and construction of buildings across the water lines.

w Insensitive tourism promotion which allows tourists to behave irresponsibly with nature and wildlife. Eco-tourism in Tamil Nadu 333333 Ecotourism may be defined as nature-based tourism that is educative and ensures the suitable use of environmental resources, while producing viable economic opportunities for host communities.32 Tamil Nadu’s geographical diversity provides wealth of eco- tourist spots that potentially support ecotourism activities. These include biosphere reserves, mangroves, coral reefs, deserts, mountains and forests, flora and fauna, seas, lakes, rivers and caves. On the other side ‘eco-tourism’, which the government is now aggressively pushing, is a disastrous invasion not merely of the environment but also of adivasi privacy, and a

30 Nanmangalam forest will get wall as shield, The Times of India, June 18, 2012 31 The Hindu, 14th August 2010. 33 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu destruction of their way of life. At times, tourists who enter sanctuary areas in Bandipur (Karnataka), Mudumalai (Tamil Nadu) and Muthanga (Kerala) offer money to adivasi women. With no prospects for employment in these sanctuary areas, and with the forest department having taken away the people’s traditional rights to fish, hunt, and gather food, some women accept the money.33 In May 2005, local groups including the National Fish Workers Forum, the Unorganised Workers Federation, trade unions and women’s organisations came together to protest about corruption within the rehabilitation system and the lack of recognition of their concerns. They say that tsunami survivors have been facing inadequate relief measures, forced evictions and a denial of their livelihoods.34

32 State of Environment Report of Tamil Nadu. 33 http://infochangeindia.org/agenda/women-a-work/disquiet-in-gudalur-valley.html. 34 Post-tsunami reconstruction and tourism: a second disaster? A report by Tourism Concern, October

34 A Civil Society Perspective 7

Coastal Issues

Marine Pollution Chennai’s coastal region is a typical example for uncontrolled disposal of wastewater and greater pollution levels. It is subject to a multitude of anthropogenic impacts attributable to accelerated population growth (seven million) and development of small-scale and large-scale industries, expansion of harbours and tourism-related activities in the coastal zone, disposal of municipal wastes, industrial wastes, numerous recreational and commercial activities that not only degrade the quality of coastal water but also pose a serious health hazard to marine biota and humans. The main source of coastal pollution in Chennai arises from Cooum and Adyar rivers, Buckingham canal outlets, industrial effluent discharge at various points along the coast (especially in the north Chennai region) and industrial and domestic sewage discharge points at many locations along the coastal stretch. Technically it is advisable to discharge the wastewater at a water depth of more than 20 metres in the ocean for better diffusion and dispersion. Discharge at this depth automatically reduces the concentration levels of the organic and inorganic materials below the threshold level (which is the level of concentration of organic and inorganic materials, which will not hamper the 353535environment, living organisms, etc.). Contrary to this, in Chennai most of the wastewater is disposed in the coast itself. The surf zone dynamic activity retains all these wastewaters in the coastal zone itself and prevents proper dispersion into the offshore waters.35 In Chennai coastal water, municipal sewage wastes (both sludge and wastewater), liquid industrial wastes (pharmaceutical, fertilizer, thermal power plants and other chemical factories) and dredged materials are the sources of most pollutants, released into coastal waters.

2005.

35 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu

India’s first Marine Biosphere under Threat Gulf of Mannar situated in the southeastern coast of India extending from Rameswaram in the North to Thoothukudi in the south along with its marine environment has been declared as India’s first Marine Biosphere Reserve. Gulf of Mannar covers approximately an area of 10,500 ha. There are 21 islands covering an area of 623 ha. The Gulf of Mannar harbours a total of 117 species of coral belonging to seven genera. Coral reefs serve as the spawning grounds for fisheries, sea grass beds as nursery grounds and mangroves as shelters form a unique component of life-support systems of coastal biodiversity that relates to global benefits and local needs. Out of 160 varieties of corals in Gulf of Mannar, 137 are present and reasons behind their being endangered36 are: w Excessive fishing;

w Collecting underwater plants;

w Exploitation caused by pearl collection; w Digging of coral reef;

w Construction of township on the sea shore;

w Sand mining; w Dumping of industrial effluents into the sea. In Gulf of Mannar and Palk Strait an average rainfall of 900 mm coupled with the presence of coral reefs protect the ozone layer. Catches made using trawlers affect the livelihood of local fishermen who can only afford small canoes and boats.37 The growth of palm trees is another notable feature in coastal areas where, out of the 8.59 crore palm trees in India 5.10 crore are in Tamil Nadu. The major concentrations are in Kanyakumari, Tirunelvelli and Thoothukudi. There is a sizeable poor population whose livelihoods depend upon the produce of these trees which are used in construction, etc. but these trees are now being destroyed and their numbers have decreased sizably. Similarly, in Ramanathapuram and Thoothukudi districts the coral reef provides breeding grounds for marine fauna, promotes food crops and minimises soil bed erosion triggered by waves. Corals are now endangered due to careless activities like digging and exploiting the marine resources for ever-growing commercial purposes. Moreover these two districts have other environment concerns which are:

35 http://beach.com/stateofthebeach/2-indi/health quality.asp. 36 The Hindu, June 8, 2004. 37 A study of coastal problem in Ramnad and Tuticorin districts by People’s Action for Development 36 A Civil Society Perspective

w Prawn farming;

w Salt pans;

w Tree felling; w Use of prohibited nets and other fishing gears;

w Fishing activity in close proximity to islands, and

w Increased deep sea fishing. On 22 May 2012, the Ramnad district Fish Workers Trade Union and National Fish Workers Forum celebrated the International Day of Biodiversity. The following requests were put forth at the meeting: 1. The Gulf of Mannar area must be conserved without harming the traditional fishers from the area. 2. The use of banned nets that harm marine species must be stopped. 3. The ban on sea cucumber fishery must be lifted by the central government. 4. Stop so-called development schemes including nuclear and thermal power plants, tourism and other industries that destroy fisheries which are anti-conservationist in nature and impact fishermen’s livelihoods. 5. Dynamite fishing must be stopped. 6. The establishment of commercial harbours must be stopped. Vanishing Wetlands Due to their fertility, more and more wetlands are being converted into agricultural lands. Drainage of swamps and marshes and conversion of natural wetlands to paddy fields have been practised world over. In recent373737 years, with the introduction of powerful dredging, draining and earthmoving machinery the conversion of wetland to farmland has become particularly profitable. The draining of wetlands not only eliminates wildlife, but also increases storm water surges and lowers water tables. Coastal Regulation Zone The CRZ Notification was officially notified on 6 January 2011. While it uses the 1991 notification as its base, it also codifies the 25 amendments to the original notification. Its stated objectives are to ensure livelihood security to the fishing communities and other local communities living in coastal areas; conserve and protect coastal stretches; and promote development in a sustainable manner based on scientific principles, taking into account the dangers of natural hazards in the coastal areas and sea level rise due to global

37 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu warming. Like the 1991 notification, the 2011 notification classifies the 0 to 500 m coastal strip into four categories: CRZ I (ecologically sensitive areas); CRZ II (built-up areas); CRZ III (rural areas); and CRZ IV (territorial waters and tidal influenced water bodies). But in reality the situation is different starting from Pulicat Lake in north to Kanyakumari in south. Construction of tourist establishments and related facilities are in close proximity to coast with no regard to CRZ norms. Examples are VGP amusement park, Taj Group’s Fishermen’s Cove, Kovalam resorts, etc. Many circumvent the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) rules and do their construction. Impacts of Ports and Fishing Harbour The shoreline along the coast of Tamil Nadu is subjected to oscillation due to natural and man- made activities. The development of ports and harbours has led to erosion along the coast, closure of tidal inlets causing degradation of water quality and access to inland waterways. The developments of satellite ports accelerate the process of accretion and the dredging affects the transportation of sediment. The disposal of industrial waste coupled with domestic waste into inland estuaries and waterways has led to deterioration of creek water quality. The sediment depletion due to port structures causes erosion, loss of coastal properties, compulsory rehabilitation of native fishermen. Destruction of Bio-shield- Mangroves Forest Mangrove forest is established in coastal areas where river water mixes with seawater. These areas are called estuarine or brackish water environment of coastal zone. Theses mangrove wetlands provide a variety of protective and productive services to the coastal communities: 1. Mangrove wetlands mitigate the adverse impact of storms, cyclones and Tsunami in coastal areas. 2. They reduce coastal erosion and, on the other hand, gain land by accreting sea and adjacent coastal water bodies. 3. They act as breeding, nursery and feeding grounds for many commercially important prawns, fish, crabs and molluscs. 4. They enhance the fishery potential of adjacent coastal waters by providing them with large quantities of organic and inorganic nutrients. Destruction of mangroves and the damage caused to coral reefs have aggravated the impact of the 2004 tsunami, according to P.M.A. Hakeem, Secretary, Union Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairy and Fisheries.38 Due to the prime seafront locations that

2011, as part of PCGTN study.

38 A Civil Society Perspective mangroves occupy and also because of the value of their wood, mangroves have been indiscriminately exploited and ruthlessly felled. A part of the Pichavaram mangroves of Tamil Nadu have been drained and mangrove species such as Sonneratia and Xylocarpus have undergone excessive felling. Some areas are restricted to pure coppices of Avicennia, damaging the overall species diversity. In addition, overexploitation of the rich mangrove fisheries and the poaching of marine turtles, estuarine crocodiles, and other fauna have had a deleterious impact on the local biota.39

393939

38 “Destruction of mangroves aggravated tsunami impact”, The Hindu, Feb 05, 2006.

39 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu 8

Urbanization

Increasing Slums and Population Although Chennai has the lowest slum population among the four metropolitan cities, it has experienced a continuous increase in the slum population over the past three decades. The slum population in Chennai was 14 percent in1981, which increased to 15 percent in 1991 and further to 18 percent in 2001.40 These unorganized habitations contribute to the overpopulation in Chennai which bears a direct impact on the quality of services provided. Exacerbating Solid Waste Management Managing the solid waste has been one of the challenges of Chennai city. Now with its geographical expansion the challenges are compounded further. It has been recorded that 3,400 tons of garbage are being generated by the people of Chennai every day.41 Despite the Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules, 2000, Chennai Corporation has not yet implemented source segregation effectively in residential and commercial areas. According to a recent press report42 the hazardous wastes from the city hospitals including human body parts, used syringes and bloodied gauze are driven into 303.51 ha of dump yard at Kodungaiyur in Chennai in violation of MSW Rules, 2000 and BMW Rules, 1998. There is a notification given by the Centre for Development Finance, which states that Tamil Nadu is one of the worst-affected States in the country on the issue of Solid Waste Management. It has expressed hope that Perungudi and Kodungaiyur, the two major waste dumping areas in Chennai, would soon get relief as the State Pollution Control

39 State of Environment Report, Tamil Nadu 40 Sutapa Maiti and Praween K. Agrawal, “Environmental Degradation in the Context of Growing Urbanization: A Focus on the Metropolitan Cities of India,” Journal of Human Ecology, 17(4): 277-287 (2005). 41 According to The Hindu, 25 January 2012.

40 A Civil Society Perspective

Board (SPCB) has taken measures to implement a decentralized solid waste management system in the city.43 It has been reported that groundwater within a five-km stretch around the Perungudi solid waste dumping yard is contaminated beyond acceptable limits and the worst-affected will be the poor, because they depend on this contaminated water for their daily use. The heavy metal concentration may even lead to issues like blue baby syndrome and lead poisoning.44 There are complaints made by residents of Perungudi against dumping garbage in their locality. It has been reported that most of the people are prone to rashes and suffocation during waste incineration at dumpsite. There are also examples of problems faced by rag- pickers. It was reported that a teenager working in the dump, has a persistent cough due to the exposure to fumes emanating from the burning garbage.45 Segregation at source has been initiated but not yet been effective. Bio-medical wastes are mixed with MSW at dumping sites. Hence groundwater contamination and health problems of people in the vicinity are the issues that need to be addressed. Wastes were burnt at dumpsites which are in violation of the rule. When Perungudi was carelessly chosen as a dump site way back in 1987, it was obvious that the government gave scant regard to the ecologically sensitive marshland of Pallikarnai - a hot spot for biodiversity that was situated right next to it. Ever since then, the marshland has shrunk in size and the sewage treatment facility located nearby only makes matters worse for the flora and fauna of Pallikarnai. It is worth mentioning a recommendation of the ‘Conservation of Pallikarnai Marsh’ by Care Earth and City Connect to the government for the protection and conservation of Pallikarnai Marsh in specific and the South Chennai Flood Plain in general. It has suggested that a new approach to waste management be encouraged by the Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources. The ‘National Programme on Energy Recovery from U414141rban Wastes’ was initiated in 1995 to develop the ‘waste-to-energy’ market. This approach not only results in a substantial reduction in the area that is earmarked for dump sites but also addresses the acute power shortage that we face.46 Coming back to Perungudi, studies conducted around Perungudi produced alarming results. The level of dioxins and furans that were found in breast milk samples collected from the vicinity were 25 times higher than World Health Organisation’s (WHO’s) recommended limit. Dioxins are by-products of industrial process and municipal solid

42 Deccan Chronicle, 12 February 2010. 43 Deccan Chronicle, 19 January 2010. 44 The Hindu, dated 19November 2008. 45 The Hindu, Chennai, 19 April 2008. 41 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu waste and are said to be one of the most harmful chemicals to humans. Adding to these distressing results is the fact that the effects of such an ‘unengineered’ dump yard stretches for miles around and is not just contained in Perungudi. The ruling with the introduction of the Municipal Solid Wastes (Management & Handling) Rules in 2000 makes source segregation, door-to-door waste collection, abolition of open storage, daily sweeping of streets, transportation of waste in covered vehicles, waste processing by energy recovery or composting and sanitary landfills are mandatory. Perungudi dumping site receives 1650 tonnes of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) daily from the Chennai Corporation. The leachate is a result of anaerobic decomposition of MSW. The results of the analysis of the groundwater samples showed that dumping site leachates constitute a serious threat to the local aquifers.47 Issues on Kodungaiyur Dumpsite The residents of Kodungaiyur have been reeling under unprecedented levels of pollution for the past 20 years. The Kodungaiyur dump officially receives garbage from 5 of 10 Corporation zones including Tondiarpet, Basin Bridge, Pulianthope, Ayanavaram and Kilpauk making it the largest dumping site in the city.48 The municipal waste dumping in Kodungaiyur began in 1989. Prior to this, the land was used to grow cattle fodder. The dump is not a sanitary landfill. Garbage is dumped on unlined ground and the dumpsite has been chosen without any regard to critical criteria such as proximity to residential areas and its impacts on groundwater and people’s health. Kodungaiyur is an ecologically sensitive area. It is one of the few remaining natural marshlands in Chennai. The Corporation of Chennai recognizes Kodungaiyur and Pallikaranai as marshlands but still continues the dumping.49 Chennai, due to its close proximity with Andhra Pradesh in the north can only expand on the south and west, with the Bay of Bengal catching up on the east. South Chennai was an inevitable choice for setting up the IT corridor due to the presence of a number of technical and research institutes in the area. This took up a lot of marshland area, depleting its size drastically.50 In Kancheepuram about 53.5 tonnes of garbage is being generated every day. For management of solid waste, the town has been divided into six zones but due to uneven distribution of staff to the proportion of garbage generated, garbage in a few zones remains un-cleared. It is also being inferred that only 80 percent of the solid is being collected and

46 Source: www.transparentchennai.com/tag/perungudi 47 Source: www.inderscience.com 48 Source: Corporation of Chennai. 49 Corporation of Chennai Report on Solid Waste Management.

42 A Civil Society Perspective

20 percent remains as waste on the streets.51 There is a move to extend privatisation of garbage collection to all other parts of the municipality. Despite these measures, the implementation of which is not clear, solid waste management in Kancheepuram leaves much to be desired. Officials admit to not having made any progress in this sector. Rice Husk Ash (RHA) is illegally dumped into waste lands and water bodies by the rice mill owners which is a great threat to the environment and also causes a. Water pollution: The RHA contaminates the water making it useless and hazardous. b. Soil pollution: The RHA wastes destroy soil fertility and make the soil uncultivable. c. Air pollution: The RHA waste is nothing but fine ashes and when disposed on soil, mixes with air making the surroundings polluted and hazardous. Risk of Floods In Chennai a flood risk assessment of areas adjoining the marsh was done by Care Earth, a research organisation dedicated to bio-diversity research and conservation. A major portion of the study looks at the number of IT institutions at the transept of points on maps, between Pallikaranai marsh and the Kovalam creek. According to its assessment, social impact and ecological losses due to urban development hold for a high flood risk levels in nearby areas.52 The houses situated in Pallikaranai are cut away from the rest of the city due to inundation. Therefore, when monsoons arrive, the area is flooded and does not recede until it is slowly drained by the marsh in the Bay of Bengal. The encroachment on the wetland area has hampered easy flow of water in the storm water drains and has become a major cause for floods during the monsoons. Destruction and Degradation of Water Bodies Chennai and its suburbs once had over 250 small and big water bodies that were used for irrigation and drinking water. Today, the434343 number of water bodies has been reduced to 46. These 46 water bodies are also slowly being encroached on. The remaining water bodies have been filled up and developed into government offices, roads, bus stands, industries, colleges, memorial parks, railway road and dumping yards. Besides the water bodies, temple tanks were also used as a water source. Only about 50 temple tanks exist in the city today.53

50 Comments of Ms.Jayashree Vencatesan, Care Earth, 2007. 51 http://tiss-uirf.org/downloads/Kancheepuram%20Urban%20Water%20Supply%20RSLP%20 (English).pdf. 52 News Today, 2007. 43 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu

Pollution in Waterways Waterways are polluted due to outfalls from industries, commercial institutions, and sewage treatment plants, pumping stations, sewers, storm water drains and slums. This wastewater discharge contributes to contamination of polluted water to the waterways and leads to unsanitary condition. Pollution in Adyar River A survey of pollution in the Adyar River has suggested that it is 98 percent effluent.54 Despite the pollution in the southern banks of the river the grounds of Theosophical society have remnants of mangrove. Adyar River is located south of the Cooum River. It also flows towards the east. It is to be noted that about 0.775 mld of industrial effluents carrying heavy metals and about 8.1 mld of domestic sewage are allowed to flow into Adyar river.55 The sand bar near Adyar river mouth also prevents tidal flushing. Pollution in Cooum River The Cooum River is presently a river spoiled by filth and pollution and the water quality is considered to be highly toxic and completely non-potable. The study of the river was undertaken as part of a World Bank-funded project and shows that it is 80 percent more polluted than treated sewer. Public Works Department (PWD) sources said government agencies like Chennai Corporation and Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board, business units and retail outlets on the banks of the Cooum were responsible for the pollution. The water has almost no dissolved oxygen, and instead there are traces of heavy metals like copper, besides sewage and sludge. Contamination of Sewage Water A recent study stated that the Ambattur industrial area (70 sq. kms) in the suburbs of Chennai shows the concentration of nitrate in considerable amounts. Out of 54 samples 21 samples (39 percent) showed nitrate greater than 45 mg/l. Most of these high nitrate samples are collected from residential areas; however, most of the samples from industrial areas showed lesser than 45 mg/l of nitrate. This indicates that domestic waste leads to more nitrate problem than industries of this area, as most of the industries are metal/ steel based industries.

53 http://madrasmusings.com/Vol%2019%20No%2016/the-problem-of-our-changing-landscape.html. 54 http://rameshjs.wordpress.com/2008/08/17/elphinstone-bridge-%E2%80%A6chennai%E2%80%A6.

44 A Civil Society Perspective

In the western region of Erode district garbage from Bangalore city is brought by trucks and dumped into the Bhavani River and, as a result, the river water gets polluted. Nilgiris in the same region suffer from numerous construction activities (resorts, lodges and bungalows) which end up in large-scale emission of sewage water and dumping of garbage from these lodges and cottages, thereby obstructing water bodies. Impact and Consequences of Sand Mining The Palar is the longest of the rivers in the districts bordering Chennai and has been a major source of drinking water for the State capital and its suburbs. The Palar and its tributaries irrigate about 300,000 hectares of agricultural land in Kancheepuram, Thiruvallur, Chennai and Vellore districts. Until a century ago these were perennial rivers, but now the water flow is confined to the monsoon months. Because of this and also because of the thick layer of clay in the riverbed, the possibility of flooding has become minimal. This has attracted sand miners. The exposure of the riverbed to solar radiation following deep mining has resulted in its drying up and water availability has therefore considerably fallen and even the available water has turned saline in several places. Continued sand mining has led to obstruction in the free flow of water during the monsoon. The volume of water that flows into the Pulicat Lake too has dwindled. Farmers of Vellore also complain of indiscriminate sand mining in the Palar and Ponnai rivers, which has resulted in the depletion of water in the rivers.56 Thiruvallur district, located on the city’s periphery, is in the grip of the sand-quarrying mafia which does not think twice before organizing physical attacks on uncompromising civil servants who prevent them from lifting tons of sand from unauthorized spots, particularly from the Kortalaiyar and Cooum river beds. The adverse impact created by illegal quarrying runs deeper. Due to frequent movement of heavy vehicles hauling sand, villagers suffer from acute noise and air pollution. In addition, the losses to the exchequer run to several crores of rupees. 454545

55 http://www.civil.iitm.ac.in/people/faculty/ligy/publications/ref-pub-32.html.

45 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu 9

Other Pertinent Environmental Concerns

Devastation by Thane Cyclone Cuddalore has been completely devastated by the recent Thane Cyclone. The green cover has been completely lost and, in a district which is fast becoming industrialized, the loss of this precious green cover will have very negative and long-term implications. Agricultural and horticultural crops have also been very badly damaged. Horticultural losses are not completely addressed by just paying an amount of Rs. 800 for the loss of a coconut palm which will take up to five years to restart yielding incomes. People in the agricultural sector feel that the loss could be nearly Rs. 25,000 crore in Cuddalore district alone. This is substantiated by the fact that more than two lakh hectares under agricultural and horticultural crops had been damaged in the state due to the cyclone as informed by the District administration. This includes damage to coconut trees, cashew, jackfruit and banana plantations and paddy fields.57 In the context of post-Thane Cyclone, the entire biodiversity of Cuddalore district seems to have been severely affected. This has a direct impact on the total ecosystem of the district and the livelihood of the community. Sudden disruption and loss in biodiversity will have a great impact on the ecosystem and, in turn, the livelihood and survival. In the current context more than a lakh trees have been uprooted and thousands of acres of cultivable land have been destroyed. This leaves the biodiversity in the region at stake. In order to prevent future disasters and reduce the magnitude of disaster the biodiversity in the region has to be regenerated.58

56 The Hindu dated November 19, 2011. 57 Independent Team report titled ‘Cyclone Thane: Rapid Assessments and Recovery Interventions’, 12 January 2012.

46 A Civil Society Perspective

Compliance to Non-biodegradable Substance Violation of environmental laws is not feared by the public and this is reflected in adhering to the ban on the use of non-biodegradable plastic carry-bags which are not strictly followed as the use of plastic bags is widely prevalent still in Chennai. Similarly, in Thoothukudi district also the study report found that use of plastic bags is a major environmental concern. It is vital to note that the District administration in Nilgiris, Kanyakumari and Cuddalore districts have taken up the ban of plastic seriously. This is a welcome sign where customers and shop keepers have been restricted to use plastic and polythene bags for selling and transporting groceries and other food items.

474747

47 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu 10

Environmental impact on Livelihood and Health

Plight of the Fishing Community In Chennai the fishing community has reported a few types of dermatological problems due to coastal pollution. It is also reported that fish growth is reducing in the coastal waters of Chennai. Consumption of fish thriving in polluted coastal waters also deteriorates human health. Pollutants in coastal marine environments of Chennai are derived from both point and non-point sources. Waste disposal operations intentionally release materials to coastal waters via direct dumping and pipeline discharges, which constitute point sources of pollution. Moreover, the reduction in the availability of sweet water due to sand mining in Palar river has brought down the fish catch substantially, thus affecting the livelihoods of hundreds fisherfolk families. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) declared the Pulicat lagoon system in Tiruvallur district a Ramsar site of international importance and the World Wide Fund for Nature declared it a protected area. Threat to the lagoon includes the pollution from sewage, pesticides, agricultural chemicals and industrial effluents – from Arani and Kalangi rivers draining into the lake and wastes from numerous fish processing units. Shrimp farming in more than 1,000 acres on the eastern part of the lagoon have affected the Pulicat bird sanctuary and the livelihoods of 30,000 fishermen and 20,000 farmers (for whom fishing is an off-season economic activity). The lucrative business of fishing has brought into the market Padi Valai — fishing net with very fine mesh. This unethical practice of fishing has affected the aquatic resources of Pulicat Lake. In Nagapattinam and Cuddalore, fishermen claim that their livelihoods are being affected because of the combined effects of pollutants and degradation of mangroves, reefs etc., on which their livelihoods are totally dependent. In addition, they pointed out that the indiscriminate approvals given by the Government of Tamil Nadu to trawlers and large

48 A Civil Society Perspective mechanized boats from other States and countries to fish in their waters are adversely affecting their livelihoods. Diversion of Irrigation Water Being close to the city of Chennai was adversely affecting the farmers of Cuddalore. The overflow from the Perumal Lake, which was feeding the lakes used for irrigation purposes in Cuddalore, was being diverted to cater to drinking water requirements of Chennai, thereby depriving the farmers depending on this lake of the livelihoods. Air Pollution Woes In Manali industrial area of Chennai, the presence of chemicals in the air have exceeded health standards set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The sample is the first of its kind in Manali and reveals the presence of 12 chemicals. Out of these 12, many industries have not tested for the presence of chemicals in their effluents by TNPCB.59 These chemicals include acetone, hydrogen sulphide, benzene, carbon disulphide and toluene. These target multiple systems in human bodies, for instance, kidneys and liver and the respiratory, nervous and cardiovascular systems. The above mentioned prevalent chemicals are known to attack the central nervous system, a serious concern since the available data on the synergistic effects of multi-chemical exposure is insufficient. Ambient air pollution has important and diverse health effects, in Vellore’s leather tannery areas. Local infants, children and adults are the most susceptible to current levels of chromium, lead, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, sulphuric acid and particulates. In many districts of Tamil Nadu including Vellore, the current National Ambient Air Quality Standards may not be adequate enough to prevent public health hazards. Ambient air pollution has important and diverse health effects in leather tannery areas. Currently, levels of chromium, lead, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, sulphuric acid and particulates in infants, children and adults are among494949 the most susceptible, especially among those living near leather tannery areas and the particulates remain unhealthful in many parts of Vellore district, where the current National Ambient Air Quality Standards may not protect the public adequately.60 As per observations, people in aaround the tannery areas are serious victims of occupational diseases such as asthma, chromium ulcers and skin diseases. In addition to this, respiratory diseases have been reported among workers in tannery industry at Ranipet industrial area.

58 Ibid. 59 http://www.sipcotcuddalore.com/downloads/pr_280905.pdf 49 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu

Encroachments in Pallikaranai Marsh It is one of the few remaining natural ecosystems in Chennai. Pallikaranai, in its undisturbed state, regulates the influx and outflow of large quantities of storm water. The marshland serves two important functions: It controls floods in the hinterland areas and recharges groundwater. The marsh is home to about 10 species of frogs, 45 species of fish, 21 species of reptiles 110 species of birds and 10 species of mammals.61 It has been a source of drinking water for the people living in the surrounding areas and has sustained agriculture for many centuries before the city started expanding. The marsh was approximately 5,500 hectares (50 km square) about 30 years ago. Continuous encroachment for construction of roads, houses buildings, the Metropolitan Railway Transport System (MRTS) and for dumping garbage and sewage has shrunk the marshlands to 550 hectares. It was one of the nine remaining wetlands in ‘Greater Chennai’ as the others have already been consumed by the expanding city. Precarious Slums The Mylai Balaji Nagar, a slum built on 10 acres of landfilled sites of Pallikaranai marsh, is a major contributing factor to the contamination of the marsh. Pallikarnai marsh once served as a source of drinking water to the slums around the banks of the Buckingham Canal but during the construction of MRTS line, the slums were relocated to the makeshift landfill area which now constitutes the Mylai Balaji Nagar slum area. In another narrow area – Cooum - about 3,500 illegal hutments along the banks also add to the accumulating mass sludge and filth on the river beds. Sand Mining and Palar River Sand mining has hindered the flow of water into the heavily silted Red Hills and Cholavaram lakes in Chennai, thereby posing a serious threat to Chennai’s water supply system. Mining operations, both legal and illegal, are present in a number of places and the norms regarding the depth of the mine is often flouted. Irrigation and drinking water supply are the major casualties. Besides, trucks overloaded with sand damage village roads. In some places, houses are found to have developed cracks. Also, the people in the region are exposed to lung-related diseases because of the dust emanating from the sand-laden trucks. Whenever the mining licensees face trouble from the local community, they use their workers, most of whom were until recently farm labour, against their own people, thus causing disharmony in the community. Sometimes the miners use caste divisions in these villages to their advantage.62

60 (http://jocpr.com/vol2-iss5-2010/JCPR-2010-2-5-153-160.pdf 61 The Other Media, 2005 62 The Mining Dangers, Frontline Volume 19 – Issue 10, May 11-24, 2002, (online) (http:// 50 A Civil Society Perspective

Ground Water Pollution in Chennai’s Peri-Urban Villages Metro Water board has not taken measures to curb livelihood threats in these villages caused by the over-exploitation of ground water.63 In many villages groundwater has turned brackish or even saline due to seawater intrusion. Thousands of truck operators are involved in commercial transaction of water in these villages and, in some villages like Mathur, water companies like Polo and Aqua have even been established which pump, purify and sell raw water. The Tamil Nadu Groundwater (Development and Management) Act of 2003 was enacted with a view to prevent groundwater over-exploitation and to ensure its judicial management. Alternate Livelihood and Displacement In Palayaseevaram village, Palar basin, people absorb the shock of water depletion by either taking up sand mining, non-farming or construction activities or migrating to urban areas in search of employment. The outcome is severe damage to the village ecology and livelihood security. Dharmapuri in the western region of Tamil Nadu is a drought-prone district. The main occupation is agriculture. But due to lack of rainfall and growing real estate business, the agricultural area is shrinking. Due to water pollution and chloride contamination, diseases like arthritis and paralysis have been found to occur. Large numbers of brick kilns have reduced agricultural lands into waste lands and also paved way for social ills such as child and bonded labour systems. These brick kilns also pollute the air and consume a lot of firewood. Pollution and Ailments Pollution of Palar river by toxic effluents from the leather tanneries in Vellore have rendered farmlands infertile and unfit for cultivation, thereby affecting the livelihoods of 35,000 farm families in and around Vellore. Besides515151 this, the toxic water is also responsible for skin diseases and cancer. In addition to this, the water discharged from TALCO Pernambut Tannery Effluent Treatment Company, Vellore into Palar River is unfit either for agriculture or drinking. The Palar now runs dry as it has been dammed off in Karnataka. TALCO Company tannery units have not paid the cess for compensating farmers who lost their livelihoods due to pollution. The government has not taken any concrete steps in this regard either. As a result, people suffer from vomitting, dysentery and renal failure due to contaminated

www.frontlineonnet.com/fl1910/19100440.htm 63 Janakarajan S. et al., “Strengthened city, marginalised peri-urban villages: stakeholder dialogues for inclusive urbanization in Chennai, India.” (online) http://www.bvsde.paho.org/bvsacd/cd67/Peri-

51 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu groundwater. Cases of cardiac problems in children have been reported from localities such as KK Nagar and MGR Nagar.64 The concentration levels of metals in surface water are much above the permissible limits and make workers of tannery industries prone to health hazards. In these areas, groundwater is not suitable for domestic use, forcing villagers to travel 4–5 km for fetching water. High proportion of the groundwater is unsuitable for irrigation, and hundreds of wells in the region can no longer be used because of the presence of heavy metals in the groundwater. The other worrisome side effect of tannery wastes is heavy metal leaching into both ground and surface water. Cultivation of crops in heavy metal-afflicted regions caused by leaching also introduces heavy metals into the food chain as well.65

Contract farming – threat to human existence In the five districts of central Tamil Nadu (Pudukkottai, Trichy, Perambalur, Karur and Nagappattinam) the support of Tamil Nadu Newsprints Limited (TNPL) in contract farming is in the form of seedling, pitting, planting and a nominal cost for maintenance. For land- levelling and soil fertility, farmers need to borrow money from the bank and moneylenders. In most of the cases, farmers who planted 15 years ago, have not even achieved 50 percent of the project yield that the paper mill has proposed. Five years later when they harvested the casuarina and eucalyptus, they were not able to repay the loan and were compelled to sell their land. This also resulted in increase in the sale of human organs and farmer suicides. The area under eucalyptus and casuarina cultivation were once cultivated with millet and pulses. Ten years ago, the millets were sold at the rate of Rs. 10 per kilogram and now they are sold at Rs. 50 per kilogram. Similarly, the pulses sold at Rs. 40/kg are now sold at Rs.100/kg. This decline in millets and pulses would have a drastic impact in the health and nutrition of the people in the State. This will also lead to deep water scarcity and decline in bio-diversity which will threaten the existence of farming in Tamil Nadu. The introduction of MGNREGS has increased the labour scarcity for agriculture work. Moreover, the wage demanded by daily labourers is unaffordable for farmers and makes it difficult for cultivating crops. Labour costs account for about 60 percent of the agricultural production costs. The reduction in support price for their produce in the market has led farmers to switch over to eucalyptus and casuarina plantation with TNPL.

urban/cap3.pdf 64 http://pherozevincent.blogspot.com/2009/01/tanneries-killing-pernambut.html. 65 K.Sundar , et al., 2010, ‘High Chromium Tolerant Bacterial Strains from Palar River Basin: Impact of Tannery Pollution Nanobio-Medicine Laboratory, School of Biosciences and Technology, VIT-University,

52 A Civil Society Perspective

Safeguarding Habitation The Central Government’s proposed leather cluster for TN that was announced in the Union Budget 2011-2012 is likely to come up on 100 acres of land near Tiruvannamalai. This has faced strong opposition from the citizens and farmers on the grounds of the harmful environmental track record of tanneries in Tamil Nadu.66 Fearing consequences, the villagers around the Gummidipoondi industrial estate in Tiruvallur district have strongly objected to the construction of a treatment, storage and disposal facility (TSDF) for hazardous wastes at their doorstep.67 It is to be noted that habitations and agricultural lands are situated within 500 metres of the proposed facility. Smoke from the incinerator could contain harmful chemicals which, on prolonged exposure, can trigger harmful impacts on both human and animal health.

535353

Vellore 632014, India (online) http://maxwellsci.com/print/rjees/v2-112-117.pdf. 66 The New Indian Express, 2nd Feb 2012.

53 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu 11

People’s Movement to Safeguard Environment

Pallikarnai Marsh and Kodungaiyur Dumpsite The continuing development activity in Pallikarnai Marsh continues to weaken the marsh’s capacity as an ecosystem. Encroachment activities have resulted in declining richness of species of the marsh aquatic ecosystem. The agitated residents along with the NGOs took out a rally to save the dying marsh and were faced by a defensive Chennai Corporation. The corporation maintained that it had no control over the lorry drivers who transported the garbage and dumped them in the lower area of the marshland, causing pollution.68 The Municipal Solid Waste Handling Rules, 2000 on the other hand have been blatantly violated by the Chennai Corporation in several instances, for e.g., the following conditions have all been violated at the Kodungaiyur dumpsite: Rule 8 states, “The landfill site shall be away from habitation clusters.” Kodungiayur is a wetland and is in close proximity to human habitation. An estimated 100,000 people reside in Kodungiyur. Rule 9 of site selection criteria states, “A buffer zone of no- development shall be maintained around landfill site and shall be incorporated in the Town Planning Department’s land use plans.” Many residential colonies like Mahalakshmi Nagar, Thendral Nagar and Aishwarya Nagar have been set up within half-a-kilometre of the dump yard after 2000. Many residential settlements have pre- dated the dumping ground, which was set up in spite of the fact that there were human settlements in the vicinity. Lastly, in violation of Rule 1.4 of collection of municipal solid waste bio-medical waste is regularly dumped into the dumping yard by city hospitals. Residents complaining

67 News Today Bureau ,Chennai, Jan 13, 2006.

54 A Civil Society Perspective about this have failed to evoke any action from the authorities. Ramachandaran Rao of the Ever Vigilant Citizens Welfare Association says, “It’s a horrible sight; one can see dogs tearing apart parts of human remains, sometimes dragging them from the yard onto the main road.69 Civil rights groups and NGOs such as Care Earth, Madras Naturalists Society and City Connect have been campaigning for the conservation of Pallikaranai marsh under one umbrella organisation known as ‘Save Pallikaranai Marshland Forum’. They hold dharnas and road-rokos to press the case for urgent government intervention. The Government, through the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), has passed an order70 for the formation of an authority to protect the marshland – a victory for people’s initiative. Pollution by Tanneries in Tamil Nadu71 The Vellore Citizen Welfare Forum filed a writ petition in 1991 as public interest litigation. In this petition, the Forum alleged that the tanneries and other industries were discharging untreated effluents into agriculture fields, roadsides, waterways and open lands in the State of Tamil Nadu. The untreated effluent of these tanneries and industries were finally discharged in Palar River which was the main source of water supply to the residents of the area. The Forum further alleged that the entire surface and sub-soil water of Palar was polluted thereby making potable water unavailable to the residents. The operations of these tanneries in the state of Tamil Nadu have caused severe environmental degradation. An independent survey was conducted by Peace Members, a non-governmental organization and Peddiar Chatram Panchayat Union found that 350 wells out of the total 467 used for drinking and irrigation purposes were polluted. The Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India, constituted the Loss of Ecology (Prevention and Payments of Compensation)555555 Authority in 1996. In March 12, 2002 it ordered 546 tanneries in Vellore district pay Rs. 26.82 crore to 29,193 families as compensation for pollution damages. According to the Vellore Citizens Welfare Forum in 2002,72 the award estimates the damage only in terms of loss of agricultural production. This takes into account only the loss of crops and not the deterioration of the value of land. The Authority considers only lands that have wells. The farmers at present are demanding the closure of all

68 Deccan Chronicle, 2007. 69 ‘Where stray dogs devour Human flesh’ – by Karthik Subramanian, The Hindu, June 11, 2004. 70 Conservation authority formed for protecting Pallikaranai marshland, The Hindu, Chennai April 02, 2012. 71 http://cpcbenvis.nic.in/newsletter/legislation/ch20dec02a.htm 55 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu tanneries in Vellore district. They want the tanneries to be relocated away from water sources and establishment of eco-friendly industries in the district. They also want the compensation scheme to be worked out afresh. Tirade against Pollution - A local voice to be heard73 For the past one year, P. Sudhakaran, a young resident of Anakaputhur, has been trying to shut down an illegal leather goods manufacturing unit that has not only caused acute pollution, but also considerable revenue loss to government agencies, that have refused to act on the issue. Responses to his meticulous queries to different government departments have clearly established that the unit is functioning illegally, violating all norms. It was also found that 10 such units have been functioning in Anakaputhur in addition to the illegal leather manufacturing unit near his house on Mettu Street. According to Mr. Sudhakaran, the unit began functioning on rented premises near his home on Mettu Street in early 2011. Since then, residents living near the unit have been subject to a lot of stress and inconvenience due to the noise from the machines. Frustrated by this, Mr. Sudhakaran posed queries under the RTI Act to Anakaputhur Municipality, Revenue Department of the Kancheepuram District Administration, Kancheepuram District Environment Engineer of Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and even the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, all of whom denied issuing any license to the unit. The issue is still pending and Mr. Sudhakaran is hoping to get justice soon. This people’s movement shows that steely determination is required to fight against the herculean problem of pollution and to protect the environment in which we live. .

72 Asha Krishnakumar, An award and despair, The Frontline, Volume 19 - Issue 16, August 3 - 16, 2002. 73 K. Manikandan, Intrepid youth takes on illegal leather manufacturing unit, The Hindu, Chennai, July

56 A Civil Society Perspective 12

Recommendations and Way Forward

General Recommendations w Encourage environment-centred knowledge management platforms to act as bridges between the government and community/academic/ research organisations. w Revisit the decision to set up power plants in fragile ecological area and displacement of livelihoods of people. w Take steps to prevent monocultures and efforts to promote biodiversity. w Empower the Panchayats for maintaining and safeguarding water tables in their respective areas. w Protect and preserve natural bio-shields of all types, such as mangroves, sand dunes and coastal vegetation. w Document, preserve and promote traditional wisdom and indigenous knowledge on farming practices in agriculture. 575757 w Convert public toilets to ECOSAN toilets and increase their number. Strictly implement norms related to density of public toilets. w Promote organic / low-carbon farming on a wider scale for the benefit of ecology and humankind. w Adopt long-term holistic plans for water management (which includes harvesting, storage, transportation, utility, etc.) to avoid ad-hoc measures which adversely affect the lives and livelihoods of communities. w Protect all water resources from being polluted and exploited. w Give serious thought to the idea of a compulsory environment audit, especially for large and medium-sized enterprises. 57 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu w The ritualistic Environment Impact Assessment plans need to involve the affected communities and their representatives in conciliatory efforts. Thematic Recommendations (a)Promoting sustainable agriculture w Shrinking land-man ratio is a critical problem and productive agricultural lands should not be put into industrial use but safeguard agricultural interests. w Address climatic variability and climate change through risk management strategies that minimise the adverse impacts of weather extremes, and encourage the adaptation of agricultural processes to climate change. w The agricultural extension system should focus on capacity-building of farmers on practising sustainable agriculture and organic farming, and should scale up these activities with more number of farmers as a step towards ‘green agriculture’. w Traditional wisdom and indigenous knowledge on farming practices in agriculture should be documented, preserved and promoted. w Stringent regulations need to be implemented to prevent over-exploitation of groundwater by any means like drilling of bore wells, check dams, and so on . Rain water harvesting and management of water bodies by local Panchayats need to be encouraged. w Ban corporatization of agriculture and use of Genetically Modified (GM) inputs such as seeds, harmful chemical fertilizers and pesticides. w Promote eco-friendly cultivation and incentivize organic farming to protect soil fertility. The State must promote labelling of organic foods for appropriate quality control and access to better markets. Natural packaged foods such as canned coconut water and palm products must be promoted by the state, providing marketing and technical support to small-scale growers. (b)Protecting the coast w Coastal Regulation Zone 1991, in its original version, should be revisited without any dilutions or amendments. w Bio-conservation efforts such as biosphere reserves, marine parks and wildlife sanctuaries should be community-centric and pay due importance to local traditional livelihoods. w Coastal Zone Management Authorities should have adequate community representation to voice local concerns in the decision-making processes. Introduce

58 A Civil Society Perspective

community-based coastal management, by giving greater role and power to the panchayats. w Ban ecologically harmful fishing practices to protect and sustain marine resources. w Respect and uphold traditional and customary rights of all the communities on the coast. w Implement strict monitoring and heavy penalties to violators for releasing untreated wastes into the sea. Revamp early Disaster Warning Systems along the coast in lieu of the threat from natural disasters like tsunamis, cyclones, floods and wave surges. Strengthen community-based disaster risk management in all coastal villages. w Protect and preserve natural bio-shields of all types, such as mangroves, sand dunes and coastal vegetation. Ban mining of minerals like sand and limonite along the coast as they pose a greater threat to the communities along the coast. (c) Making cities greener and cleaner w Introduce and promote integrated public transport schemes and provide tax concessions to all vehicles that run on clean technologies and levy a stiffer tax on fuel- inefficient luxury vehicles such as SUVs and sports cars. w Charge high parking fees for cars and other four-wheelers in all areas in cities and towns which have good connectivity by public transport systems. Incentivise greater use of public transport systems. w Introduce bicycle lanes in multiple sections of cities to promote healthy and more eco- friendly transport in the state. w Enforce current pollution control norms for vehicles. w Scale up pilot projects in using plas595959tic waste in road laying. All office and apartment complexes above a given size and within municipal limits should have strict “green” codes: green building codes that mandate good ventilation and use of natural light standards that promote energy efficiency; minimum tree cover per acre of land; in- house segregation and management of the solid wastes generated; and rain-water harvesting. w Government buildings should set the example for implementing green building codes. w Create norms for the use of solar panels in large buildings. w Create markets for composts by promoting their use in public parks and gardens. w Public toilets have to be converted to ECOSAN toilets and increased in number. Norms related to density of public toilets should be implemented strictly.

59 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu w Government departments and offices should go ‘paper free’ as per the National E- Governance framework. w Conventional lighting should be heavily taxed and Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) should be distributed at subsidized rates through the public distribution system. All government buildings should also compulsorily be fitted with CFLs. (d)Checking industrial development and its negative impacts w Conversion of productive agricultural land to industrial land should be strictly prohibited. w Tax holidays and subsidies should not be extended to new industries, and existing tax breaks should be revisited. w Industrial Master Plans need to be made public, and easy online and offline access to them needs to be provided in English and Tamil. w Strict compliances to Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and public hearing with community participation and consent. Zero waste plans should be mandatory and monitored by communities. w The State Pollution Control Board should be made transparent and accountable by placing their annual report for scrutiny in legislature. w Risk and vulnerability assessment must be made mandatory. Comprehensive Disaster Management plans with off-site plan components need to be devised. Early warning systems and evacuation plans need to be in place. w Complete relief and rehabilitation package with comprehensive resettlement policies should be framed and implemented. w The government should mandate a portion of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds for the improvement of the environment of local communities. (e) Conserving forests and upholding tribal rights w Customary and traditional rights of the tribals over forests and forest resources should be recognized legally with immediate effect. w The management of the forests and forest resources should be under the control of tribal communities through their traditional gram sabhas. Any economic activity in forest areas like felling of trees or plantations or any other such activity should give joint ownership to the tribals. w Afforestation programmes need to be strengthened with significant local participation. w Declared Plastic-Free Zones need to be enforced and monitored strictly with sufficient budgetary provision.

60 A Civil Society Perspective

(f) Forging a green future w Chemicals used in the preservation of foods like vegetables, fruits, processed foods, etc., should be restricted and regulated. The use of safe and organic alternatives should be promoted. w Environmental studies at the school level must be strengthened. w Well-funded seed-banks need to be set up at the regional and district levels to maintain all varieties of food grains and provide easy and inexpensive access to farmers. w Multi-crop agricultural and plantation systems should be promoted by afforestation initiatives, agricultural universities and state agencies for greater climate resilience and better food security. w Tourism should not be promoted under the spurious title of ‘eco-tourism’, be it on the coast, in the hills, or in tribal areas. Local communities in tourism areas must be engaged to promote responsible and truly sustainable tourism, along with the strict enforcement of best practices, waste management and minimal ecological footprints. Specific Recommendations to Different Zones of Tamil Nadu w Blanket state ban on use of non-bio-degradable objects especially plastic/polythene bags in cities and all districts. w Take measures to curb growth of urban slums and unorganized habitation in Chennai. w Impose strict penalty and punishment for illegal sand mining and quarrying in Chennai and adjacent areas. w Furnish immediate attention to the constant battle on rainwater and sewage problems fought by residents in Chennai. w The Government should take stringent action on those industries / companies who violate the environmental laws and616161 cause damage to the natural resources especially in Vellore, Cuddalore and Tirupur Districts. w A thorough assessment of contract farming that has been a threat to food, fodder, nutritional and environmental security has to be carried in central regions of Tamil Nadu. w Repair and maintain the irrigation and drainage canals. Install shutters and other structures that can stop backflow of saline water from the sea in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam. w The principle of “polluter pays” should be followed by the government in all cases of environmental pollution.74

1, 2012.

61 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu w CRZ 2011 should be re considered and consulted with the fishing community to bring strong measures to protect the rights of fisherfolk. Tamil Nadu government should pressure central government to include the recommendations of fishing communities already made. w All CRZ 1991 violations must be brought to book before implementation of new CRZ notification 2011. State-integrated Coastal Management Plans should be released before implementation of CRZ 2011. w Eco-tourism project in Gulf of Mannar covering 21 islands has to be withdrawn and access of the fisherfolk to this area should be guaranteed. w In order to recharge deeper aquifers and to prevent seawater intrusion, recharge wells in favourable tanks and ponds are recommended. w Engineering measures (hydraulic) to improve the flow of flood water into the sea, maintain water quality levels in coastal lakes, revival of traditional water harvesting to meet drinking water requirements are recommended especially in the coastal districts such as Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, etc. Way Forward A flexible, inclusive and knowledge based approach, which can be broadly designated as the ‘Adaptive Management Plan’ and ‘Comprehensive Environment Management Plan for State level is needed. It is time tested that any initiatives of the Government does require the support of civil society as well as the sanctioning of the public. The Tamil Nadu Government is moving in the right direction by inviting opinions to formulate a comprehensive Environment policy toward realizing these objectives of Vision 202375 with respect to Environmental Sustainability which stresses preserving, and improving the quality of the environment and nurturing the cultural heritage of the state encompassing the entire ecological footprint of human activity, in general maintaining the ecological balance across the entire state.” The need of the hour is to involve civil society representatives in decision making to facilitate the prerequisite change for the protection and preservation of the Ecology of Tamil Nadu. At this juncture it is important to highlight the new and emerging Interventions pertaining to Policy Framework as enlisted by Draft State Environment Policy of Government of Tamil Nadu.76 According to the policy, Environmental Tax

74 Recommended by the Supreme court in its judgment, dated 11 December 1995, against shrimp farms. 75 Tamil Nadu Vision 2023 outlined by Hon’ble Chief Minister Ms. Jayalalitha recently has identified preservation of Ecology and Heritage as one of the key themes of Vision 2023. 76 Environment and Forest Department, Draft State Environment Policy, Government of Tamil Nadu. 62 A Civil Society Perspective

Reforms will facilitate a gradual shift towards management of environment and natural resources using market based instruments (e.g., eco-taxes). Secondly, Green Economy and Green Growth will facilitate a move towards green economy and inclusive growth; and development of statistical systems that estimate environmentally adjusted growth. Thirdly, Public Private Partnership in the environmental sector and lastly, enhancing awareness of legal issues regarding environment and working with environmental activists and judiciary Will necessarily make the transition successful. The best road to be taken at this juncture is through sustained mass awareness to educate the communities and people’s elected leaders on the importance of reducing climate change with corresponding policies and sound implementation of environmental laws and legislations with active participation of civil society groups and public. Though it is challenging and daunting task can be realised with active cooperation between state and civil society.

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63 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu

Glossary of Terms

Biodiversity – Means that there are many different types of species and that there is large-scale genetic variation within each of them. Disposal – Final placement or destruction of toxic, radioactive, or other wastes; surplus or banned pesticides or other chemicals; polluted soils; and drums containing hazardous materials from removal actions or accidental releases. Disposal may be accomplished through use of approved secure landfills, surface impoundments, land farming, deep well injection, ocean dumping, or incineration. Dump – A site used to dispose of solid wastes without environmental controls. Ecology – The study of the interplay between living organisms and their surroundings. Ecosystem – The interacting system of a biological community and its nonliving environmental surroundings. Effluent – Wastewater—treated or untreated—that flows out of a treatment plant, sewer, or industrial outfall; generally refers to wastes discharged into surface waters. Emission – Pollution discharged into the atmosphere from smokestacks, other vents, and surface areas of commercial or industrial facilities, from residential chimneys; and from motor vehicle, locomotive, or aircraft exhausts. Energy – Energy cannot be destroyed only converted. Energy sources can be divided into three main groups — solar energy, fossil fuels and nuclear energy. Solar energy can be used directly as wind, water and biofuels. Fossil fuels are coal, oil and natural gas. Different carriers of energy such as electricity, water and air help to make it available for use. Energy can be used for work, lighting, heating and transport. In principle, all energy use has an environmental impact, but the impact varies depending on the source of energy that is used. Environment –The sum of all external conditions affecting the life, development, and survival of organisms. Exposure – A potential health threat to the living organisms in the environment due to the amount of radiation or pollutant present in the environment. Groundwater – The supply of fresh water found beneath the Earth’s surface (usually in aquifers), which is often used for supplying wells and springs. Because groundwater is a major source of drinking water, there is growing concern about areas where leaching agricultural or industrial pollutants or substances from leaking underground storage tanks are contaminating it. 64 A Civil Society Perspective

Hazardous wastes – By-products of society that can pose a substantial or potential hazard to human health or the environment when improperly managed. Substances classified as hazardous wastes possess at least one of four characteristics—ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity—or appear on special lists. Heavy metals – Metals with high density, such as cadmium, lead, copper, mercury and chrome. In everyday language, heavy metals are the metals which are toxic and have a very negative effect on the environment. See each of the heavy metals for more information. Landfills – Landfills are a modern type of rubbish dump which comply with certain environmental requirements; there has to be some form of foundation plate under the waste which makes it possible to collect and treat the rainwater which is polluted by the toxins stored in the landfill. Dumping waste at a landfill means that it is deposited at a rubbish dump instead of being incinerated or recycled. Mitigation – Measures taken to reduce adverse impacts on the environment. Pesticide – Substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest. Also, any substance or mixture of substances intended for use as a plant regulator, defoliant, or desiccant. Pesticides can accumulate in the food chain or contaminate the environment if misused. Pollutant – Generally, the presence of matter or energy whose nature, location, or quantity produces undesired environmental effects. Plastics – A collective name for different materials with different characteristics consisting of long carbon chains. Plastic is made almost exclusively of fossil carbon from oil or natural gas which is mixed with different chemicals. Plastic can be divided up in different ways. One division is thermoplastics, which can be transformed when they are heated and hardened plastics, which canno656565t be transformed when they are heated but are instead hardened. The environmental impact of plastic is included at every stage from the extraction of oil and gas to the production of plastic and subsequent waste handling. There are few extensive studies of the environmental impact of plastic and it is difficult to state categorically which plastic is better than others. It is, however, possible to say with some certainty that chlorine-based plastics (like PVC below) are worse than other thermoplastics from an environmental angle. This is largely due to the fact that the chlorine in the plastic can combine with organic compounds which often have a very negative effect on the environment. Raw sewage – Untreated wastewater Recycle/Reuse – The process of minimizing the generation of waste by recovering usable products that might otherwise become wastes. Examples are the recycling of 65 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu aluminum cans, waste paper, and bottles. Sewage – The waste and wastewater produced by residential and commercial establishments and discharged into sewers. Sewage sludge – Sludge produced at a municipal treatment works. Silt – Fine particles of sand or rock that can be picked up by the air or water and deposited as sediment. Sludge – A semisolid residue from any of a number of air or water treatment processes. Sludge can be a hazardous waste. Solid wastes – Non-liquid, insoluble materials ranging from municipal garbage to industrial wastes that contain complex, and sometimes hazardous, substances. Solid wastes include sewage sludge, agricultural refuse, demolition wastes, and mining residues. Technically, solid wastes also refer to liquids and gases in containers. Solid waste disposal – The action or process of getting rid of refuse that is not salvaged or recycled. Solid waste management – Supervised handling of waste materials from their source through recover processes to disposal. Toxic It – Different substances have different toxic effects. Some, like dioxins, are toxic immediately and at very low doses. Others, like trace elements, are toxic in large doses and after long periods of storage in the body. Wastewater treatment plant – A facility containing a series of tanks, screens, filters, and other processes by which pollutants are removed from water. Water pollution –The presence of harmful or objectionable material that damage quality of water. Wetlands – An area that is regularly saturated by surface water or groundwater and is subsequently characterized by a prevalence of vegetation adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Examples include swamps, bogs, fens, marshes, and estuaries.

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Some Recent Releases

A Life and Its Lessons: Memoirs Samuel Paul Samuel Paul, well-known scholar, institution-builder and social activist, tells his life story and distills the lessons of experience learnt from a wide range of institutions, both national and international, with which he was associated. In a long and distinguished career, he has been the Director of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, adviser to the United Nations, ILO and the World Bank, founder and first chairperson of Public Affairs Centre, Bangalore, author of “citizen report cards” and other pioneering tools of social accountability. His reflections on the success and sustainability of institutions offer important insights of relevance to practitioners, scholars and students alike. The story is told in a lucid style, with candour, wit and sensitivity to the great social challenges of our time.

Improving Governance the Participatory Way Meena Nair • K. Prabhakar • Prarthana Rao • Poornima G.R. This publication records the implementation of a successful initiative by Public Affairs Centre (PAC), in partnership with grassroot organizations like Centre for Advocacy and Research (CFAR), Society for People’s Action for development (SPAD), and Association for Promoting Social Action (APSA) in creating an effective participatory citizen-provider engagement model which helped improve the quality of service delivery in selected Maternity Homes run by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP or Greater Bangalore Municipal Corporation). The initiative which began in the form of a study of the quality of services in these Maternity Homes by using well known Social Accountability Tools such as Citizen Report Cards (CRC), Budget Analysis and Community Score Cards (CSC), led to the formation of Maternity Home Monitoring Committees (MHMCs) in the catchment areas of three Maternity Homes. Phase II of the project attempts to replicate the model in more Maternity Homes and Referral Hospitals along with budget advocacy on better implementation of incentive schemes. 676767 Contribution of the Urban Poor – A Pilot Study from Chennai and Bengaluru, India Kala Seetharam Sreedhar • A. Venugopala Reddy Policy makers view the urban poor as a burden on public services and infrastructure. Here, we report evidence for their contribution to the city economy in Bengaluru and Chennai. We gather the data through large primary surveys of poor households and informal enterprises in low income areas of each of the two cities.

In both Bengaluru and Chennai we find that, gender, and the salary status of the respondent have a significant impact on their income. Overall, we find that Bengaluru’s slums which contain about 9-11 percent of the city’s population, contribute anywhere from 3 percent to 3.5 percent of the city’s economy. In Chennai, slums which contain 19 percent of the city’s population, contribute to 14 percent of the city’s economy. We summarize several reasons for the different findings across the two Indian cities.

67 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu

Citizen Voices in Environmental Governance – Proccedings of the Colloquium organised by the Environmental Governance Group, PAC Bolstered by the ’s experience with harvesting citizen opinion through Climate Change Score Cards in the Gulf of Mannar, and representing these to those in governance through a series of structured meetings, PAC has been encouraged to share this experience and locate it within other similar efforts in the context of this Colloquium. This brief meeting evoked a lot of interest from a wide range of actors in this sector and provided the much-needed kick-start to formalize spaces within policy formulation procedures for citizen voice and expression. More important, it created the common ground among diverse stakeholders and practitioners to take forward a few of these ideas to fruition.

Citizens Fighting Corruption – Results and Lessons of an Innovative Pilot Programme in India Vinay Bhargava, Indira Sandilya Alexander Varghese Harish Poovaiah (for CASG Team) The Citizens Against Corruption (CAC) project on which this report is based is an innovative pilot project started in 2009 with support from the Department for International Development, UK through its global Governance and Transparency Fund. CAC is implemented in South Asia by a partnership of the Public Affairs Centre (PAC), Bangalore, India and the Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) – a US-based international NGO committed to helping citizens fight corruption. This report shows that there is hope in curbing corruption. It presents efforts and results achieved by 14 grassroots Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) spanning four diverse states in India (Odisha, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Uttarkhand) in helping citizens engage to produce positive results to reduce corruption and improve service delivery. The real heroes in the stories presented in this report are the citizen volunteers and the progressive public officials who worked hard and selflessly to make a difference in the lives of real people living in remote and poor areas.

A Green Manifesto for Environmental Governance – A people-centred tool and approach PAC Environmental Governance Group Environmental Governance Group (EnGG) believes that integrating the concerns of the common person in an organic fashion through ‘Community- centred Governance’ is the best way to address the issues arising from the impact of climate change. In the backdrop of the legislative elections in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Public Affairs Centre initiated the process of developing a Green Manifesto for Tamil Nadu. Following a chain of consultations with various stakeholders, a Green Manifesto was drafted and released simultaneously in various parts of the state, including Chennai, Ramanathapuram, Thoothukudi, Salem and other districts. The process is amply described in this publication. 68 A Civil Society Perspective

Some PAC Publications

1. State of the Art as Art of the State: Evaluating e-governance Initiatives through citizen feedback (Ramesh Ramanathan, Suresh Balakrishnan), 2000. 2. Wanted: An Enabling Industrial Environment in Karnataka (Samuel Paul, Sheila Premkumar, Prasann Thatte), 2000. 3. Benchmarking Urban Services: The Second Report Card on Bangalore (Samuel Pual, Sita Sekhar), 2000. 4. Citizen’s Audit of Public Services in Rural Tamil Nadu (Catalyst Trust, Public Affairs Centre), 2001. 5. Civic Engagement for Better Public Governance (Manjunath Sadashiva, Suresh Balakrishnan), 2002. 6. New Media and People’s Empowerment: The Second Public Affairs Lecture (Dr. Mallika Sarabhai), 2002. 7. ABC… Of Voting: A Guide For Voting in Indian Elections (Public Affairs Centre), 2002. 8. Universal Elementary Education: A Way Forward for India. The Third Annual Public Affairs Lecture (Azim Premji), 2003. 9. A Report Card on Bhoomi Kiosks (Albert Lobo, Suresh Balakrishnan), 2004. 10. Towards User Report Cards on Irrigation Services (Suresh Balakrishnan, Albert Lobo), 2004. 11. BATF: A Partnership with Promise? The Fourth Annual Public Affairs Lecture (Nandan M. Nilekani), 2004. 12. Public Affairs Centre: A Retrospective 1994 - 2000. 13. Holding a Mirror to the New Lok Sabha (Samuel Paul, M. Vivekananda), 2005. 14. Karnataka’s Citizens’ Charters: A Preliminary Assessment (Anuradha Rao), 2005. 15. Electoral Disclosure in Karnataka: A Reality Check (Samuel Paul, Poornima D.G., Anuradha Rao), 2005. 16. Spirituality & Universality: The Fifth Annual696969 Public Affairs Lecture ( Sri Sri Ravi Shankar), 2005. 17. Benchmarking India’s Public Services: A comparison across the states (Samuel Paul, Suresh Balakrishnan, K. Gopakumar, Sita Sekhar, M. Vivekananda), 2005. 18. Setting a Benchmark: Citizen Report Card on Public Services in Bhubaneswar (Public Affairs Centre, Centre for Youth and Social Development), 2005. 19. Are They Being Served? Citizen Report Card on Public Services for the Poor in Peri-Urban Areas of Bangalore (Sita Sekhar, Meena Nair, Venugopala Reddy), 2005. 20. Holding the State to Account: Lessons of Bangalore’s Citizen Report Cards (Samuel Paul), 2006. 21. Deepening Democracy: A Decade of Electoral Interventions by Civil Society Groups 1996-2006 (Public Affairs Centre), 2006. 22. Benchmarking Bangalore’s Public Services: What the Third Citizen Report Card Reveals (Sita Sekhar, Manisha Shah), 2006. 69 Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu

23. Citizenship and Good Governance: The Sixth Annual Public Affairs Lecture (Sheila Dikshit), 2006. 24. Public Services in Hubli-Dharwad: A Citizen Report Card (Sita Sekhar, Meena Nair, Venugopala Reddy), 2007. 25. Greater Bangalore Governance Options (S. Krishna Kumar), 2007. 26. Assessment of Citizen Centres in Tamil Nadu (Sita Sekhar, Meena Nair, A. Venugopala Reddy, K. Prabhakar), 2007. 27. Public Services in Hubli-Dharwad: The Second Citizen Report Card (Sita Sekhar, Meena Nair, K. Prabhakar, Prarthana Rao), 2008. 28. Decentralised Service Delivery in Panchayats: A Pilot Citizens’ Audit (Sita Sekhar, Meena Nair, A. Venugopala Reddy), 2008. 29. Public Services Provided by Gram Panchayats in Chattisgarh: A Citizen Report Card (Sita Sekhar, Meena Nair, K. Prabhakar), 2008. 30. Study of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Initiatives on Universalisation of Elementary Education in Karnataka with Special Reference to Concerns of Gender and Equity (Sita Sekhar, Meena Nair, K. Prabhakar, Prarthana Rao), 2009. 31. Services of Gram Panchayats in Koraput, Orissa: A Citizen Report Card (Sita Sekhar, Meena Nair, K. Prabhakar, Prarthana Rao), 2009. 32. A Mirror to the Police: A Bottom-Up Assessment of the Karnataka Police (Meena Nair, K. Prabhakar, Prarthana Rao), 2010. 33. Towards a Vibrant Knowledge Society: A Stakeholder Audit of the Karnataka Jnana Aayoga (Shweta Gaur, Nivedita Kashyap, Meena Nair, R. Suresh), 2011. 34. A Life and Its Lessons: Memoirs (Samuel Paul), 2012. 35. Citizen Monitoring and Audit of PMGSY Roads: Pilot Phase II (Public Affairs Centre), 2012. 36. Improving Governance the Participatory Way: A pilot study of maternal health services for urban poor in Bangalore (Meena Nair, K Prabhakar, Prarthana Rao, Poornima G. R.), 2012. 37. Case Studies from the Social Audit of Public Service Delivery in Karnataka (M. Vivekananda, S. Sreedharan, Malavika Belavangala), 2012. 38. Changing the Urban Face of Karnataka: Evidence from three urban development programmes (Kala S Sridhar, Venugopala Reddy, Pavan Srinath), 2012. 39. Citizen Voices in Environmental Governance – Proccedings of the Colloquium organised by the Environmental Governance Group Bangalore – 23-24 August 2012. 40. Social Audit of Public Service Delivery in Karnataka (M. Vivekananda, Dr. S. Sreedharan, Malavika Belavangala), 2012. 41. Transforming Karnataka into a Vibrant Knowledge Society (Satyajeet Nanda, Nivedita Kashyap, Meena Nair, R. Suresh), 2013. 42. A Green Manifesto for Environmental Governance – A people-centred tool and approach (PAC Environmental Governance Group), 2013. 43. India’s Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS): Has it impacted poverty? (A working paper by Kala Seetharam Sridhar, A.Venugopala Reddy), 2013.

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