Pallikaranai Marsh
Pallikaranai wetland is a fresh water swamp adjacent to the Bay of Bengal situated in south Chennai with a geographical area of 80 km2. In 2007, a major portion of the Pallikaranai marshland was declared a reserve forest area and brought under the Tambaram range of the Forest department. The swamp is helpful in charging the aquifers of the region. It is one of the last few remaining natural ecosystems in the city of Chennai.Pallikaranai is a vast marshy area bounded by
-Velachery in north
-Medavakkam in south
-Kovilambakkam in west and
-Okkiyam Thuraipakkam in east
The swamp is helpful in charging the aquifers of the region. This blessing in fact has become a curse to the local residents. There are many unauthorized, private water supply companies like VVK, JK, RKS, Balaji water packaging etc., backed by politicians, counselor and government officials who pumps out gallons of water from wells and bores from the swamp surrounding like Ambal Nagar for commercial distribution within the city limits branding it as drinking water. The untreated water is being pumped out from abandoned wells filled with filth and then filled in tankers or cans for distribution. Many representations have been made by residents to officials like Chennai Mayor, CM, Kancheepuram Collector and even to local police for which no action has been taken so far. This unattended issue is causing many water born diseases in the locality and deaths in Pallikarani. See: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/article3859667.ece
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