The National Green Tribunal (NGT), October 25, 2024 directed the Tamil Nadu government to act swiftly in removing the invasive Charru mussel (Mytella strigata) from three locations in the Ennore wetlands — Kattupalli, Puzhuthivakkam, and Athipattu.
The NGT’s Southern Bench noted limited progress despite an earlier commitment from Tamil Nadu’s Water Resources Department. On October 3, 2024, the department submitted a memo agreeing to remove the mussel but had so far only engaged one fisherman and one excavator machine in the effort.
Considering the rapid spread of the Charru Mussel, the court stressed that the state government should have acted more responsibly by employing additional personnel and machinery to clear the mussel infestation, which would restore water flow and allow boats to navigate freely.
“Though it is the duty of the State Government departments to remove the Charru mussel in its entirety, it has taken so much time even to commence the work at the above-mentioned places,” the bench comprising judicial member Justice Pushpa Satyanarayana and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati observed.
The final hearing of the case would be held on November 29, 2024.
The application before the court sought an order instructing the Department of Fisheries and the Wetlands Authority of Tamil Nadu to address the spread of this invasive South American mussel species, which threatens to decimate the commercially valuable prawn fisheries in the Ennore-Pulicat wetlands and disrupts the ecosystem.
The court was informed that the mussel blankets the riverbed, preventing prawns from grazing or burrowing into the sediment. Phytoplankton availability has also been depleted, making conditions inhospitable for shrimp survival. The mussel, locally known as kaaka aazhi, has also been displacing the commercially valuable yellow clams (manja matti) and green mussels (pachai aazhi).
Additionally, the invasive mussels filter hundreds of litres of water daily, clearing the water column but leaving the riverbed coated in a foot-deep layer of foul-smelling, black sludge.
The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) submitted a report to the NGT on October 24, 2024, outlining the environmental compensation owed by Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL) for the December 2023 oil spill in Kasimedu harbour, North Chennai.
According to TNPCB, CPCL is liable for a total of Rs 73,68,00,906, with Rs 35,43,71,708 allocated for socio-economic damage and Rs 38,24,29,198 for environmental damage.
Other parties have requested time to respond to the TNPCB report, and the court has scheduled the next hearing for January 24, 2025. Meanwhile, the NGT has permitted TNPCB to proceed with further actions as necessary.
The NGT, October 25, 2024 directed the formation of a three-member joint committee to investigate the environmental degradation in the Maharashtrian hill station of Matheran, caused by the use of horses.
Matheran was declared an eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) by the Government of India in 2003.
The committee will include representatives from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Matheran Hill Station Municipal Council, and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB).
The committee has been tasked with visiting the area, assessing the damage caused by horse traffic, and recommending measures to minimise environmental impact. It is permitted to enlist expert assistance, with the expenses covered by MPCB from environmental damage compensation funds.
Applicant Sunil Ramchandra Shinde stated in his application that Matheran’s environment has been seriously compromised due to excessive use of horses for tourism and transport. He reported that 460 horses and 200 ponies operate daily, resulting in over three tonnes of horse manure accumulating across the valley and polluting the air, water, and soil, affecting public health.
The main appeal of the application is for measures to reduce horse usage in the Matheran ESZ and to explore eco-friendly alternatives, such as battery-operated vehicles.