Madras HC halts further works at Periyakulam, Valankulam in Coimbatore as expert report flags wetland bird decline
The Madras High Court has ordered a halt to development projects at two Coimbatore lakes following an expert report showing a decline in wetland bird species. The court mandated that authorities address sewage treatment issues to protect the local ecosystem.
Why it matters
This reflects the growing judicial intervention in environmental conservation and the protection of urban wetlands against rapid, potentially harmful development.
The Madras High Court (HC) has directed that further developmental activities, including ongoing and proposed projects, at Periyakulam (Ukkadam Big Tank) and Valankulam lakes in Coimbatore be halted until a Wetland Management Plan is implemented, after an expert report flagged a decline in wetland-dependent bird species in the two water bodies.
A special Division Bench of Justices N. Sathish Kumar and K. Rajasekar, in an order dated August 14, also directed the authorities to set right the Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) at the two lakes and prevent untreated wastewater from flowing into them.
The directions followed a report submitted by the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Coimbatore, which was asked to study whether the lake revitalisation activities undertaken by the Coimbatore Municipal Corporation were detrimental to birds nesting and using the water bodies.
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