Mon Dec 16 18:31:52 UTC 2024: ## Puducherry Water Users’ Association Demands Wetland Protection
**Puducherry, December 17, 2024** – The Bangaru Vaickal Neeradhara Koottamaippu, a water users’ association in Puducherry, is urging the Union Territory government to immediately demarcate and protect all wetlands and water bodies from encroachment. In a letter to Lt. Governor K. Kailashnathan, association president V. Chandrasekhar highlighted the Supreme Court’s mandate for wetland demarcation and conservation, criticizing Puducherry’s failure to comply.
The association demands the immediate delineation and removal of encroachments from all 84 irrigation tanks and wetlands, including lagoons, marshes, and ponds. They call for the eviction of any occupants with conditional land titles, offering alternative sites to ensure complete removal of encroachments.
Chandrasekhar noted that much of the necessary data is already available from a World Bank-funded Hydrology Project and the Tank Rehabilitation Project – Puducherry (TRPP). However, he pointed to a lack of coordination between the Local Administration Department, the Irrigation Wing of the Public Works Department, and the Department of Forests and Wildlife, as hindering effective wetland management. This division of responsibility, he argues, has led to the continued neglect of these vital water resources.
The association concludes by urging the government to prioritize the demarcation and delineation of wetlands, making their status publicly available.
First Piper 