Metro Rail Headquarters plan threatens free ranging deer at Nandanam

CHENNAI: Free ranging deer in the poultry research farm and rice godown area in Nandhanam are at risk of extinction as the Metro Rail Corporation has planned to construct their head quarters in this green patch in the heart of the city.
Free ranging deer, which is a unique specimen, found only in Chennai among India's metropolitan cities, have been fighting hard to survive, despite the overwhelming growth of the city.The classic confrontation between development and environment has been shrinking their habitat and many stray on to the road and invariably die in road accidents.
The Nandhanam area has nearly 80 spotted deer, which have been thriving in the rich foliage inside the poultry research farm and rice godown area. Wildlife authorities told TOI that the population of spotted deer in this area is healthier than their counterparts elsewhere. The poultry farm research land, where Metro Rail plans to construct its headquarters, is endowed with rich grass lands and shrub jungles, an ideal living habitat for deer.
What worries the animal activists and wildlife authorities is that it is near impossible to relocate these animals, as relocation would involve temporary captivity and deer being extremely sensitive creatures, would likely die of anxiety and fright. "We have not been approached by anyone from Metro Rail regarding this relocation. We do have a healthy population of spotted deer in this campus," Karunapriya, Chennai city wildlife warden, told TOI.
As per the needs of the Metro Rail authorities, the poultry research farm has already been shifted out of its present premises to Madhavaram, in the suburbs of Chennai city. However, they are yet to come up with plans to relocate the deer population in this area.
The wildlife authorities had mooted plans to relocate the free ranging deer from areas like Velachery, where death of animals in road accidents became very common.
In addition, the animals were also dying because of the plastic they consumed from garbage mounts due to the shortage of fodder. But the authorities had to drop plans of relocation since they feared a high causality rate.
"The Chennai city has 996 free ranging spotted deer spread across 36 different locations, including Madras IIT campus, Taramani, Nandhanam and Velachery. These animals are very sensitive and we need to be very careful while handling them," David Raj, forest range officer, Velachery said.
"The Metro Rail project is of course a welcome move for a city which is choking with vehicular traffic. However, destroying a green hub of the city for construction of its administrative block is not justifiable. We are yet to find a place to relocate the deer. Besides, it would be highly traumatic for them to be transported. I hope the Metro Rail authorities will look for an alternative location to help conserve the free ranging spotted deer in the Nandhanam area," Shankar Raman of Nature Conservation Foundation said.