Tamil Nadu Builds Freshwater Ponds to Revive Mangroves in Polluted Ennore Estuary

Chennai, June 25: To save the polluted Ennore estuary, the Tamil Nadu Forest Department has created 12 freshwater ponds across 230 hectares. These ponds are part of a new plan to bring back mangrove forests, which are suffering due to pollution from factories and hot water released by power plants.

The Ennore estuary and Kosasthalaiyar River have been affected by chemical and thermal pollution for many years. To fight this, the department started a mangrove restoration program. The ponds, each about 4 meters deep, are built on dry land where tides alone can’t support mangroves. These ponds store fresh water and also allow some tidal flow to help mangrove roots survive.

So far, the Forest Department has planted around 1.6 lakh mangrove plants and 2 lakh associated species like Avicennia marina and Rhizophora mucronata. The project covers nine villages, using various planting methods based on soil and water tests. Officials say this project will help fish breeding and improve water life. However, local fishermen still worry about ongoing pollution, and environmental activists are calling for stricter control of industrial waste dumping. The Forest Department promises weekly monitoring and says this is a long-term ecological mission.