My Selfish Reason To Lead A Sustainable Lifestyle
Why I began my journey into sustainability?
I grew up in Madras.
That in itself is a statement held very close to my heart. I love the city I call home. From its filter coffee aroma to its humidity, from its podi idlis to its deep cultural heritage, from its beaches to its cricket crazed fans, there isn’t a dearth of reasons to not fall in love with this city. Living here, if you look close enough, makes you realize that people are the same wherever you go.
The Wetland
My city has a marshland which is the only remaining wetland in the city of Chennai (previously called Madras), India. The Pallikaranai wetland is a freshwater marsh, located adjacent to the Bay of Bengal, with a geographical area of about 80 square kilometers [1].
It is the only surviving wetland ecosystem in the city and is among the last remaining natural wetlands of South India. It received the Ramsar tag in July 2022. This is a part of UNESCO’s Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, which encourages the designation of wetlands that are important for conserving biological diversity. Once designated, the sites are added to the Convention’s list of Wetlands of International Importance and are called Ramsar sites. The inclusion of a wetland to this list embodies the government’s commitment to take the necessary steps to maintain its ecological character [3]. India has been a party to the treaty since 1982.
Wetland to Wasteland
Although the Pallikaranai marshland obtaining the Ramsar tag is good news, it has also seen heavy damage over the years, despite being a “protected zone” as per the Tamil Nadu Forest Act. The wetland has shrunk from 2,650 hectares to approximately 700 hectares [1] owing to encroachments by both government and private entities, dumping of garbage and urbanization.
Since there is no physical boundary demarcating the municipal waste dump yard from the wetland, waste dumping goes unchecked. Additionally, there is also the effect of chemical leaking into the surrounding marshland. A recent study conducted by Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT Madras), found microplastics and heavy metals such as zinc, iron, nickel and titanium present in the surface water of the wetland [5].
Importance of the wetland
Biological diversity
Due to its unique hydrology and ecology, this marsh is one of the most diverse habitats of the country. It is the natural habitat for some of the most endangered reptiles such as the Russel’s Viper and birds such as the Glossy Ibis, Pheasant-tailed Jacana and Grey-headed Lapwings. Despite the reduction to one-tenths of its original area, it is home to 115 species of birds, 10 species of mammals, 21 species of reptile, 10 species of amphibians,46 species of fishes, 9 species of molluscans, 5 species of crustaceans and 7 species of butterflies [6]. It also serves as a forage and breeding ground for thousands of migratory birds from various places across and outside the country.
Hydrological Importance
It also serves as a sponge, absorbing excess stormwater runoff from the surrounding areas in Chennai. By collecting floodwater during monsoons from the nearby waterbodies, it plays a vital role in recharging groundwater levels. This is even more important in a city like Chennai as it is water-scarce and has the lowest per capita availability of water among the metro cities of India. Extreme rainfall coupled with climate change, leads to high levels of runoff which does not alleviate the water stress, but instead leads to increased risk of flooding if the excess water is not stored [6]. The Pallikaranai wetland is vital in mitigating floods in conjunction with the surrounding system of waterbodies within the city. This can be evidenced from the 2015 December floods in Chennai that left the city grappling with the consequences of the uncontrolled encroachment of the wetland.
Why does it matter to me?
It’s quite simple, really. I saw with my own eyes how the wetland shrunk, became urbanized and filthy, while the dump yard grew in size. I worked at a sewage treatment plant right next to the dump yard and saw the number of trucks that came in to dump, all day long. I educated myself on the effects of poorly regulated urbanization on the local ecosystem through this wetland. It made me want to make a change for the better so at least I could contribute less to the waste generated. This simple reason morphed into something bigger, to a purpose bigger than myself, for the greater good, to save the earth. I led my life in that direction, working for an environmental services company, studying renewable technologies, and again working in the renewable sector. I genuinely believed that dedicating my career to protect the environment was my calling.
As time went by, I was unable to see the difference, the impact of my work. I continued my journey but I felt disconnected to the cause. So I personalized my reason to give me a clearer vision to my sustainability goal. What better reason than the initial push that made me get into it? Combine that with having a baby and there’s my magic formula.
I am on my sustainability journey to lead a more circular life, for a selfish reason, as that resonates with me more and pushes me to take daily action, one step at a time. My selfish reason is to protect the wetland, my city, so my daughter can live here, if she chooses to.
References
[1] Preserve Pallikaranai Marshland, CETAA Chennai, accessed November 2023 [https://pallikaranaimarshland.org/pallikaranai-marsh/]
[2] Care Earth Trust, Accessed November 2023, [https://careearthtrust.org/why-dredging-the-pallikaranai-marsh-is-a-bad-idea/]
[3] Ramsar, The Convention on Wetlands, Wetlands of International Importance, accessed November 2023 [https://www.ramsar.org/about/our-mission/wetlands-international-importance]
[4] [https://www.change.org/p/saidai-sa-duraisamy-save-pallikaranai-marshland-from-pollution
[5] Distribution of microplastics in the catchment region of Pallikaranai marshland, a Ramsar site in Chennai, India, A Angel Jessieleena and Indumathi M Nambi, 2023 [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36529343/]
[5] Pallikaranai Marshland: An Urban Wetland on the Brink, September 2023, RoundGlass Sustain, accessed November 2023 [https://roundglasssustain.com/urbanjungles/pallikaranai-marshland-urban-wetland-brink]
[6] Ramsar Information Sheet, India, Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest, 2022 [https://rsis.ramsar.org/RISapp/files/RISrep/IN2481RIS_2207_en.pdf]
