Why is it in the News?

Experts from the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and the Besant Memorial Animal Dispensary (BMAD) are planning to establish feeding stations for birds at the creek, where contamination due to an oil spill from industries in Manali has brought down the bird population drastically.

About Ennore Creek:

• Ennore Creek, situated in Thiruvallur District, Tamil Nadu, is a backwater channel branching off from the Kosathalaiyar River.
• It merges with the Bay of Bengal at Mugathwara Kuppam, while its northern channel links to Pulicat Lake, the country's second-largest brackish water lake.
• For generations, this creek has been a lifeline for communities in the neighbouring villages, designated as CRZ IV (Water Body) in the coastal zone management plan by the Tamil Nadu State Coastal Zone Management Authority.
• Its significance is heightened for local fisherfolk, alongside the Buckingham Canal and the broader Pulicat water system.
• The Ennore Creek has historically fostered a robust aquatic ecosystem renowned for its biodiversity.
• This ecologically sensitive area once boasted extensive mangrove swamps, contributing not only to sustainable fish resources but also playing a crucial role in flood mitigation during periods of heavy rainfall, high tides, and cyclones.

About the Wildlife Trust of India:

• Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) is an Indian Non-profit Organisation (NGO) committed to nature conservation.
• Motto: In Service of Nature
• It was formed in November 1998, in response to the rapidly deteriorating condition of the country's wildlife.
• Its mission is to:
  • Conserve wildlife and its habitat and
  • Work for the welfare of individual wild animals, in partnership with communities and governments.
• WTI has earned recognition for accomplishing significant conservation milestones, including the recovery of populations for critically endangered species, successful species translocation, and the mitigation of human-animal conflicts.