THE PULICAT BRIEF

Introduction :
Pulicat Lake on the border of the States of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu (about 100 kilometers north of
Madras) is the second largest coastal lagoon in India. Spread over an area of about 450 square km, the lake
is protected by the Forest Department of Andhra Pradesh.
Pulicat is a shallow lagoon, rich in diverse food resources, and is a major feeding ground to about 80
species of waterfowls, especially ducks and waders. The movement of migratory birds who flock to Pulicat
Lake in thousands is mainly based on tidal flow and food availability. The Andhra Pradesh forest
department has recommended a 5-10 km green corridor around the sanctuary to foster marine life in the
wetland area and to ensure that it continues to attract a huge number of birds. But instead of developing
a protective environment around the lake, the area surrounding the lake is being choked by development.
The Kudri tank, a freshwater lake also in the region which is also home to several species of birds is
witnessing the real estate development around it.
Until recently, Pulicat Lake has supported the fishery trade in the region, but unfortunately, over the last
30 years, the lake has increasingly become a victim of diverse environmental tragedies, including over-
fishing, habitat fragmentation, and pollution, from chemical fertilisers, pesticides and thermal power.
Siltation in the lake is another debilitating factor, reducing the water-holding capacity so that the water in
the lake does not last long enough for continued feeding and breeding of birds.
Port project :
In his 2013-14 budget presentation speech the then Finance Minister P. Chidambaram had announced the
establishment of two new major ports (of approximately 50 tonne capacity) one in Sagar, West Bengal, and
another in Andhra Pradesh. However the exact location of the port in Andhra Pradesh was not formally
announced. A technical team visited three places, Nakkapalli in Visakhapatnam district, Durgarajapatnam
in Nellore district and Ramayapatnam in Prakasam district, to identify a suitable place to locate the second
major port.
Initial problems with the port project:
According to media reports, all the three locations identified for the port ran into problems. Initially,
Nakkapalli near Visakhapatnam was identified for development of the second major port, but the Eastern
Naval Command of the Indian Navy raised objection stating that it has expansion plans and developing a
new port would pose limitations to their plans. Indian Space Research Organization objected to the
proximity of their facility at Sriharikota (an island nestled in Pulicat Lake) to Dugarajapatnam, which
narrowed down the options to only Ramayapatnam. However, Krishnapatnam Port Company, the
developer of Krishnapatnam port, raised an objection stating that the proposed port at Ramayapatnam
falls within an exclusive zone of about 100 km granted to the existing port. The CVR group approached the
Union Shipping ministry showing its agreement with the state government that gave the Krishnapatnam
operator exclusive rights of operation in the area.

Media reports highlight that the technical committee which visited these sites (with members including
the CMDs of Cochin Port and Paradip Port, a senior scientist at Ministry of Shipping and a hydraulic
engineering expert) had recommended Ramayapatnam as the most suitable location for the new major
port in the state. Subsequent to the expert committee's visit, the state government too is said to have
favoured Ramayapatnam. Major lobbying and political gain therefore, is said to be the reason for the
CCEAs (Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs) inexplicable decision on 9 May 2013 to select
Dugarajapatnam as the new major port in Andhra Pradesh.
In October 2013, tobacco exporters, farmers, granite exporters, and other sections of the trade and
general public passed a resolution urging the Union Government to establish a major port at
Ramaiahpatnam , as originally envisaged, and not to shift it to Dugarajapatnam, as the former location
would be more closer to the centres of production and more convenient to the trade. But the central
government has stuck to its decision to set up the port at Dugarajapatnam by 2018.
Moves by the UPA government before exiting :
To enable the construction of the port, the environment ministry at the centre, gave their clearance for the
same. To ratify the clearance, the ministry has reduced the ecologically sensitive area (ESA) that
encompasses Pulicat by 80%. An ESA / ESZ (eco-sensitive zone) is a type of designation for an area that
needs special protection because of its landscape, wildlife or historical value.
Environment laws in the country prohibit the setting up of pollution emitting activities within an ESA,
which provides protection to the bio-diverse rich area. This means that setting up the port within the
earmarked area would have been untenable by law. By reducing the ESA, the MOEF ministry has brazenly
subverted the law.
RAMSAR Convention and additional concerns :
The dismal state of affairs over Pulicat has not been without protest. The History Society and the Salim Ali
Centre for Ornithology and Natural History are making efforts to declare the water body a RAMSAR Site,
which is equivalent to World Heritage site status for monuments, much like a similar lake the Chilka in
Odisha. Ironically, a similar move was mooted by the former Union Environment Minister Jayanthi
Natarajan. India became a signatory to the RAMSAR convention held at San Jose (Costa Rica) in 1999. It is
an intergovernmental treaty by which member countries are encouraged to maintain ecological character
of their wetlands.
Pulicat Lake has already been under siege from 2000 onwards with the setting up of a thermal power plant
and various chemical industries in its vicinity. The impact is already being felt. The proposed major port will
be a deathblow.
Dont allow the Government of India to make a rubber-stamping mockery of the Ministry of Environment.
Dont allow Pulicats sacrifice to the highest bidder on YOUR watch as an asset of India, its irreplaceable.




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