A recent field survey has documented breeding activity among 47 bird species in the Kovalam-Nemmeli Coastal Wetland Complex. The findings come as the proposed Mamallan freshwater reservoir project awaits review by the Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal.
The survey was conducted by the conservation collective Suzhal Arivom. It recorded 22 breeding species in saltpans and mudflats near Nemmeli and 25 others in wetland edges and mangroves near Kelambakkam. Notable species include the red-wattled lapwing, Kentish plover, black-winged stilt, grey francolin, oriental pratincole, red-necked falcon, and Indian pied starling.
The great thick-knee, listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN Red List, has bred at Nemmeli for five consecutive years. This makes the site the only known breeding location for the bird in the Kelambakkam-Thiruporur-Thirukazhundram landscape.
The group surveyed 35 percent of the accessible wetland area. It stated that the Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment for the reservoir project did not fully reflect the site's breeding importance. The assessment's avifaunal survey took place from July 2025 to November 2025, outside the main breeding season of February to June for many resident birds.
Local fishing communities and environmental groups have raised objections to the reservoir project.