Chennai, Feb 10 (IANS): Tamil Nadu based environmental group Poovulagin Nanbaragal has urged the state government to drop the proposed construction of Perungudi ecopark.

The organisation in an appeal to the government said that the Pallikaranai Eco Park in Chennai was created on 2.5 hectares of the Pallikarani marshland.

“After Pallikarani marshland was announced as Eco Park, shops sprouted on both sides, the walk ways were constructed using concrete which led to the loss of serenity of the marshland and the surrounding area,” the group said.

The group said that mistakes done at Pallikarani marshland should not be repeated at Perungudi and no construction of Eco Park should take place.

The group said that the Madras High Court and the National Green Tribunal have directed the government to remove the encroachments and to handover the marshland to the Forest Department for further preservation.

The group has also urged the government to convert the reclaimed Peringudi dump yard into forest or marshland.

A proposal has also been put forward by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to develop an Eco Park in 100 acres of reclaimed Perungudi garbage dumping yard.

The work for the reclaiming of Perungudi Garbage dumping yard is likely to be completed by May 2024. However, the environmental groups do not want it to be converted into an Eco Park.