Do you want to be a wetland mitra?

Being one would enable you to help tackle issues afflictinng your neighbourhood lake before they assume monstrous and even unmanageable proportions. Chennai has 106 wetland mitras and efforts are being made by the district forest division along with other government line agencies to bring more residents under the conservation programme

Just as Oscar Wilde’s Happy Prince could see his land’s suppurating wounds from a tall pedestal in the town square, residents are at a vantage point to spot a problem infesting a neighbourhood-lake in its embryonic stage. There is the option for these residents to take matters to the next level: becoming a “wetland mitra” and reporting the lake’s afflictions. The information can form the spine of an initiative to protect and rejuvenate the lake. “As of now, there are 106 wetland mitras in Chennai,” notes Priyadarshini Venkataraman, District Forest Officer, Chennai Division. “We have got data about 65 satellite tanks around Chennai. Thirty-one wetlands are listed in Chennai district’s official record. A wetland mitra can choose their own wetland and watch over it. If someone is in the Ambattur area, they can choose preservation of Ambattur lake as the focus of their volunteering work. The wetland mitra can keep posting information about what is happening around the lake: it could be a case of littering, an early sign of encroachment; and even movement of birds and butterflies. Regular reporting will enable prompt remedial action and also build specific categories of data about the wetland.”

The mitra component supplements an interdisciplinary approach inherent in the district wetland authority, headed by the district collector and composed of district-level representatives of various government agencies connected with these lakes. Besides mobilising wetland mitras, there is an ongoing effort to scientifically study these wetlands, notes Priyadarshini. “Parallelly, through the state wetland authority, we have engaged two subject matter experts to collect data about these wetlands, one after another.” She observes that the information gathered would be as varied as the ecological features of the wetland and the number of houses around it. “When they go to survey a wetland, revenue officials would also come along with field-measurement-book sketches. Our range officers coordinate with all the authorities. And the findings from these surveys would be placed before the district wetland authority,” says Priyadarshini.

Through inter-disciplinarity, the exercise synthesises information from various stakeholders to arrive at a realistic picture about a wetland.

“A report would be prepared and there would be a discussion which includes a plan of action. We would also try to spell out the rights of the people to make sure we do not encroach upon that. They have the right to use it for their legitimate needs without depleting the resources. Based on the analysis, we would create a regulatory mechanism and after getting the signatures of all the stakeholders in the committee, we will present it to the state wetland authority,” she explains. That should probably give a measure of the importance of the role handed out to wetland mitras. The composition of wetland Mitras is eclectic. The initiative is free of ageism, as evidenced by the fact that the enrolment form does not seek the volunteer’s age.

Priyadarshini notes that a retired tahsildar and a retired additional director of the fisheries department are wetland mitras. “Anyone can be a wetland mitra,” she says. One noticeable feature is an effort to mobilise schools and colleges into the movement. “Schools have eco-clubs. Teachers representing the eco-clubs are part of the wetland Mitra initiative, and they would communicate information about any awareness campaigns and activities to their school groups.”

The advantage of having wetland mitras engaged with lakes across neighbourhoods came to the fore during the recent bird census, whose second phase happened last weekend. “We conducted the bird census in two phases, the first was along coastal wetlands like Pallikaranai and Adyar creek. In the second phase, we focussed on inland wetlands, choosing six lakes (Sholinganallur Rettaikeni Thangal Eri; Sholinganallur Tharamai Thangal Eri; Madipakkam Periya Eri; Adambakkam Eri; Velachery Eri and Velachery Periya Eri) out of the 31 lakes officially recognised as wetlands. We included one — Chitlapakkam lake — for its ecological significance, though it lies outside that list.”

When the the second phase of the census got under way, wetland mitras watching over these lakes slotted into place as if they were part of an intricately designed and tuned assembly-line process. Priyadarshini volunteers an additional information: “The government has now given permission to share the names of wetland mitras. A website is being designed in Tamil and English, and when it is ready, their names will be made known.”