Conservation of Ennore-Pulicat Wetlands and Eco-region

Cities came around rivers and wetlands. Chennai grew around its three rivers Kosasthalaiyar, Adyar, Cooum and the vast number of freshwater and coastal wetlands which make its hydroscape. Ennore-Pulicat wetlands are in the Kosasthalaiyar’s basin. It is the largest waterscape in the city and is mosaic of thirving ecologies. But this has also been the place of industrial development and abuse, given that the communities living here are historically marginalized.

Several of us at Palluyir have been working for many years around the advocacy and conservation of Pulicat, Ennore and other wetland systems along with our partner collective – The Chennai Climate Action Group. We presently want to work towards comprehensive biodiveristy documentation of this region along with the Tamil Nadu biodiversity board, create educational material, conduct public workshops and engage in serious advocacy so that this ecoregion is protected from further abuse, and is actively in our common imagination.