Scientists urge T.N. CM Stalin to withdraw Mamallan Reservoir proposal

Twenty-two ecologists, hydrologists, ornithologists, and marine biologists have written to the Tamil Nadu government urging it to withdraw the proposed Mamallan Reservoir project. The scientists argue that the Kovalam-Nemmeli backwaters are a tidal-marsh ecotone crucial for marine biodiversity and should be protected as a lagoonal wetland. They warn that restricting tidal flow would harm the ecosystem, while flooding risks associated with the project remain unaddressed. They suggest declaring the site a protected wetland instead.