Chief Secretary N. Muruganandam launching the initiative in the presence of Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Environment, Climate Change, and Forest, in Pallikaranai marshland on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement
The Department of Environment, Climate Change, and Forests on Saturday launched a ‘Massive Plastic Clean-up Drive’ across all bird sanctuaries and waterbodies near forest areas in the State. The initiative was inaugurated by Chief Secretary N. Muruganandam at the Pallikaranai marshland, Chennai’s largest urban wetland.
Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Forest Supriya Sahu, in a post on social media, said the initiative was launched at the Pallikaranai Marshland in Chennai — one of India’s Ramsar sites. District Forest Officers, forest staff, self-help groups, NGOs, schools, colleges, and local communities worked side by side to remove plastic waste and reclaim wetlands to protect biodiversity, she added. The campaign is being led by the Forest Department, Department of Environment, and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board.
As Tamil Nadu lies on the Central Asian Flyway, welcoming countless migratory birds including flamingos, pelicans, storks each year, it is important to ensure safe stopovers for the migratory birds and resident native birds by keeping their habitats clean, she added.
Published – August 30, 2025 11:53 pm IST
