Kerala - Kottayam   

Vembanad conservation reserve likely to be set up

Staff Reporter

Call to expedite steps to check pollution caused by houseboats

KOTTAYAM: Minister for Forests Benoy Viswom has promised that the demand for creating a Conservation Reserve consisting of Vembanad Lake and adjoining areas would be considered seriously by the Government. He also called for expediting steps to check pollution of the lake cause by houseboats.

Mr. Viswom was speaking on the occasion of the release of the Report of the Vembanad Water Fowl Census 2006, here on Friday.

According to the report of the census released here by the Minister, the total number of birds spotted this year was only 40 per cent of that spotted the year before. This was mainly because of the absence of migrant ducks and teals, the report says.

Based on the findings, organisers of the `Water Bird Count,' have called for a long-term strategy to conserve the highly sensitive Vemabanad wetland ecosystem.

The entire region, which was divided into ten sectors for conducting the census, found that the population has come down in Vembanad Lake area by 25 per cent, Kumarakom Tourist Complex Heronry (10 per cent), Pathiramanal island (50 per cent), Kumarakom paddy filed area (50 per cent), Narakathara (50 per cent), Pallathuruthy (60 per cent), Thanneermukkom Bund (70 per cent), Nedumudy-Poothapandy Kayal area (50 per cent), Thollayiram kayal (96 per cent). Only in Kaipuzha Mutu area the bird population indicated an increase.

The results of the census has pointed to the need to create a conservation reserve comprising of Pathiramanal island, heronry at KTDC Tourist Complex and the Lake in between, it was noted.

Taking into account the contradictory interests of the stakeholders, a new model of protected area management involving the Forest Department, panchayats and NGOs should be evolved, it was pointed out.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Vembanad conservation reserve likely to be set up

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu