July 17, 2024

Photo essay: Industrialisation pushes Ennore towards destruction

Once a fertile wetland, Ennore is going through an environmental crisis due to decades of industrial pollution, severely impacting people's health and livelihoods.

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Ennore, located in the northern part of Chennai, is a fertile, brackish wetland with a canopy of large mangrove forests. Surrounded by the Kosasthalaiyar river, the Ennore creek, and the Bay of Bengal, it serves as a refuge for a wide range of bird species. Previously, the land in Ennore was a salt pan and utilised for agriculture. But the lush area is now turning uninhabitable for the residents. In the 1960s, the Tamil Nadu government initiated the re-zoning of the Ennore–Manali region into petrochemical and coal-based industries. The area is now home to more than 30 red-category industries.  A majority of Ennore residents—who are primarily from working class backgrounds and belong to scheduled caste and scheduled tribe communities, including the Irular tribe and the Semdadavar fishing community—rely on fishing in the Kosasthalaiyar river and the Bay of Bengal. But emissions and residues released from nearby industries such as the North Chennai Thermal Power Station, Ennore Thermal Power Station, Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited, and Adani ports cause severe environmental degradation, pollute the air and water, and impact people’s health and livelihoods.

Fishing boat docking at the coast in Ennore_Industrialisation
In Ennore, fishing is the main source of income. Most of the surrounding villages rely on fishing in the Kosasthalaiyar river and the Bay of Bengal for their livelihood.

One of the primary causes for the devastation in Ennore is the North Chennai Thermal Power Station (NCTPS). It was established by the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited (TANGEDCO) in 1994. The NCTPS was commissioned to generate electricity; it releases an enormous amount of hot water into the Kosasthalaiyar river during the process, which destroys marine life and severely impacts the fishing communities. The plant’s pipeline also carries and discharges fly ash—a residue formed by burning coal and containing toxic chemicals—to the ash pond.

TANGEDCO is already expanding the NCTPS into phases two and three. Yet, they haven’t replaced the pipelines that were laid during phase one in 1994. Fly ash is carried as a slurry with seawater and leaks into the Kosasthalaiyar river from old pipelines, becoming the key reason for the river’s deterioration. Not just NCTPS, but the Ennore Thermal Power Station (ETPS), established in the early 1970s, also releases a staggering 2,500 tons of fly ash per day. As a result, the fish and prawns have become tasteless, even turning grey in colour. For the over 8,000 regular fishers and 1,000 members of the Irular tribe in Ennore, whose livelihoods are entirely dependent on fishing, this is a dire predicament.

A tribal woman holds prawns collected by hand from the Kosasthalaiyar river. The prawns appear grey because of the pollution caused by fly ash released by the ETPS_industrialisation
A tribal woman holds prawns collected by hand from the Kosasthalaiyar river. The prawns appear grey because of the pollution caused by fly ash released by the ETPS.

Fly ash not only causes water pollution, but also contributes to air pollution. The inhabitants of the area experience a range of health consequences as a result of the ash-mixed air, with an increasing chance of contracting diseases such as cancer and tuberculosis and many skin and respiratory ailments.

Two tribal women, Govinthammal and her friend, catching prawns by hand in the Kosasthalaiyar river_industrialisation
Two tribal women, Govinthammal and her friend, catching prawns by hand in the Kosasthalaiyar river.

The fish caught by the fishers in Ennore used to be sufficient for their livelihood. At present, the disappearance of most species is severely affecting the aquatic food chain, reducing the resources available for harvesting in the creek. As a result, fisherfolk have to find alternate contract work in the form of daily-wage manual labour jobs or low-paying positions at factories, such as gardener, watchman, or supervisor. The tribal communities face additional problems due to the lack of appropriate equipment for fishing. They typically use their hands to catch the prawns, and are constantly exposed to the pollutants. As they have been doing this work for generations, it’s difficult for them to leave their traditional work.

Liquid ash leaking into residential areas and rivers_industrialisation
Liquid ash leaks into the residential area and the Kosasthalaiyar river several times a day due to the damaged pipelines.

Many residents have moved away from the Ennore region because of the threat to their livelihoods and health. A few villages that haven’t yet been relocated by the government, such as Seppakam and Kuruvimedu, are on the verge of destruction. Maheshwari, a resident of Seppakam says, “Everyone in this area has health issues; we don’t have a hospital here. Most of the kids have skin infections on their legs because they play on the road covered in fly-ash dust. Our houses and the environment are filled with ash dust, which we inhale all the time. We used to get good-quality groundwater before this industrial development. Now, because the groundwater has become salty and poisonous, we have to pay money to buy drinking water. Our village’s condition is worsening day by day.”

A person's feet covered in rashes. Due to their proximity to the ETPS ash pond, most of the kids who play outdoors in Seppakam village suffer from skin allergies_industrialisation
Due to their proximity to the ETPS ash pond, most of the kids who play outdoors in Seppakam village suffer from skin allergies.

Effluents and sewage from Manali, another part of North Chennai, and the city’s interior also reach Ennore via the Buckingham canal. The Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL), a public sector refining business, releases oil into the Buckingham canal on a daily basis from Manali. On December 4, 2023, CPCL pumped an estimated 24,000 litres of crude oil into the Buckingham canal during the Michaung cyclone. From the canal, the crude oil spilled into the Bay of Bengal, the biodiverse Ennore creek, and the Kosasthalaiyar river, damaging the surrounding environment and making the water unsuitable for fishing. The oil spill entered the houses of Ennore’s residents because of flooding, making it difficult for them to live.

Environmentalist Nityanand Jayaraman stated, “In 2017, there was a comparable oil spill in the Ennore sea. We previously used buckets to clean; this time, we had to use bathroom mugs. Nothing has changed—the situation is as bleak as before.” Despite Chennai being known as a modern metropolis, the government did not provide up-to-date technology or resources to the people of North Chennai to clean up the oil spill.

Part of the daily oil leakage in the Ennore mangroves that spills into and pollutes the Kosasthalaiyar river_industrialisation
Part of the daily oil leakage in the Ennore mangroves that spills into and pollutes the Kosasthalaiyar river.

In the immediate aftermath of the spill, up to 2,301 fishing families were affected and 787 boats were damaged. Fisherfolk reported fish deaths in the river and estuary, and several birds and animals have also been affected. These communities struggle to make ends meet when there are no fishing opportunities, and they claim that the offered compensation of INR 12,500 is inadequate.

Due to exposure to the poisonous oil and its odour, residents of the villages close to the spill are suffering from various physical conditions such as giddiness and irritation of the skin and eyes.

Although the authorities eventually cleaned up the floating oil in the river, the river beds were completely ruined, and high-density oil particles remain in the water. The impact of the spill was spread across 20 square kilometres, including several residential areas such as Thiruvotriyur, Nettukuppam, and Ennorekuppam. Nobody wishes to consume fish from Ennore any more, not even the locals, as every fish has an oily odour to it. Some want to buy fish stocks worth INR 1,000 for as little as INR 100.

Mangroves in Kosasthalaiyar river which were destroyed by an oil leak_industrialisation
The majority of the mangroves in the Kosasthalaiyar river were destroyed as a result of an oil leak from CPCL.

In addition to the oil spill caused by polluting industries, another significant source of damage to marine life is the presence of the Kamarajar and Adani ports in Ennore. The ports remove the mud from the river bed, which acts as a natural barrier, to facilitate the entry of ships, thereby disrupting the marine ecosystem.

Murthi, a resident of Kattupalli village, explains how mud at the sea’s surface is crucial for fish breeding and reproduction. “Thirty to 35 years ago, we used to get a greater variety of fish in the sea, including vanjaram, mavlaasi, serra, black vaval, and paara,” Murthi recalls. “We had very few nets to capture the fish, but we could still manage to catch a great number. In fact, we didn’t have enough buyers for the fish we brought to the market.” At present, the Kamarajar and Adani ports dredge the sea’s mud, impacting marine fishing. The mud used to mound in different places—Kattupalli, Kodaapaatu, Kaalanji, Laakpaat, and Koiradi—spanning roughly six kilometres in the sea. But now, because of dredging, there is no mud and no more marine resources.

The expansion of one of the Adani ports was halted due to questions about the environmental consequences, since Ennore acts as a flood barrier for the rest of Chennai. Expanding the port could destroy nature, mangroves, backwaters, and coastal areas, affecting all of Chennai.

feet in a river polluted by oil. After the oil leak, the Kosasthalaiyar river was primarily cleaned up by fishermen without any safety measures. The toxic chemicals in the oil severely affected their skin_industrialisation
After the oil leak, the Kosasthalaiyar river was primarily cleaned up by fishermen without any safety measures. The toxic chemicals in the oil severely affected their skin.

Yet another polluter in Ennore is the Coromandel factory, the undersea pipeline of which led to the leakage of ammonia gas on December 26, 2023. From December 27, 2023, for more than 100 days, people protested for the closure of the factory. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) imposed a fine of INR 5.92 crore in environmental compensation on the Coromandel factory.

Women in the village protesting against industrialisation
Approximately 12 villages came together and protested in front of the Coromandel factory demanding its closure.

“We will be at peace only after this company is shut down. These days, we always live in fear of ammonia. The leak was a small one, but if it had happened for longer than 15 minutes, we would not be alive today,” said Vimala, a local resident of the affected area in Ennore. However, the judgement by the Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal allowed Coromandel International Limited to resume ammonia offshore pipeline activity after obtaining a no-objection certificate from the TNPCB and the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health, subject to approvals from the Tamil Nadu Maritime Board and the Indian Register of Shipping.

After this judgement, the protests were completely brought to a stop by the authorities.

Two children running in football uniforms in the Burma ground. Players have breathing issues and low stamina because of the pollution_industrialisation
Football players practising in the Burma ground. Players have breathing issues and low stamina because of the pollution.

The negligence of industries towards the people, land, and water bodies in Ennore is the root cause of the ongoing issues and the region’s gradual destruction. Residents are demanding urgent measures to save Ennore. They call for red-category industries to comply with environmental laws, halt expansion projects, and stop new constructions. The Kosasthalaiyar river, used as a waste disposal site by these industries, is a focal point of their concerns. While the government is attempting to rehabilitate the river, locals insist that their expertise and needs, especially those of the fishermen with traditional knowledge, should be considered. Additionally, those who have lost traditional livelihoods due to environmental degradation are demanding government-provided jobs to ensure survival.

Know more

  • Listen to this song Poromboke (common resources), about Ennore’s environment crises.
  • Read the plan prepared by the people of Ennore for its eco-restoration.
  • Learn about why the fishers of West Bengal are shifting to farming.

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
K Hairu Nisha-Image
K Hairu Nisha

Hairunisha works as a photography trainer at Government Model School, North Chennai, where she has been empowering students from marginalised communities through the Palani Studio for the past year. She has also served as a student reporter and photographer for the Tamil magazine Vikatan. Additionally, Hairunisha is a UI/UX designer and documents current affairs in Chennai. She has been volunteering with Chennai Climate Action Group for the past three years. She is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in digital journalism from Loyola College.

K Noor Nisha-Image
K Noor Nisha

Noornisha is a photographer from North Chennai and uses photography as a tool to advocate for marginalised communities. She is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in digital journalism from Loyola College. Noornisha volunteers with Chennai Climate Action Group.

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