Sai.Venkatesh@timesofindia.comChennai: Unchecked discharge of fly ash and effluents into Ennore’s waters, incomplete dredging of western side of Buckingham canal, lack of grievance redress meetings and environmental protection measures in the region despite setting up the Manali Ennore Restoration and Rejuvenation Council (MERRC) last year have led to unabated pollution in Ennore, environmentalists have said.In a report by the Save Ennore Creek Campaign — a collective of citizens, environmentalists and fisherfolk — said the state govt had failed to perform well on key indicators such as environment, health and economy in the region. The report was prepared after multiple field visits, on-ground observations and review of govt orders. Among the key concerns raised in the report include poor pollution control and negative industrial impacts due to inaction by power generation corporation limited and TNPCB.“Discharge of fine ash slurry from the ash pond continues unabated, both towards Seppakkam and into the (Ennore) creek. Fishers have also reported multiple ash leakage incidents from NCTPS ash pipelines,” the report said.It further pointed out that historical real-time air quality data from industries in the region — which were previously available on TNPCB website — were now restricted to just current data. “Historical records are no longer accessible. This loss of access undermines public scrutiny of pollution trends,” it said.The report further said that infestation of invasive mussel in waters — which began during the DMK period — continues under the current regime too. Dredging of infested sites have remained incomplete, and dredged material continues to be dumped along the river, it added.Ever since the new assumed office, work on Ennore market block, community hall and Thiruvottiyur Industrial Training Institute (ITI) have been stalled, the report added. On the mass deaths of fish in Ennore creek months ago, R Subhashini, a fisherwoman, said, “environment minister said in the assembly that sewage was behind the deaths. But to date, no report has reached us. How can sewage alone cause so many deaths?”The report also called for upgrading the primary health centre at Kathivakkam and expedite construction of a market block for fishers — the work for which was stalled recently.
