Corporation officials say contractor and excavator operator mistakenly removed the reed beds as they failed to distinguish them from invasive weeds
Environmentalists have opposed the Coimbatore Corporation’s removal of reed beds at Krishnampathi lake, saying the exercise could affect the lake’s wetland ecosystem and bird habitats.
D. Gajamohanraj, a bird watcher, said nearly 50 metres of reed beds were removed. “The reeds provide breeding and nesting habitat for wetland birds and shelter rare migratory species such as the Bristled Grassbird and birds belonging to the warbler family. Their removal will affect the lake’s biodiversity,” he said. He added that the bird breeding season extends from June to August, making it important to avoid disturbing the reed beds during this period.
________________________________________________________________________
Read Also: How Hydroponics May Be Essential for Urban Agriculture
________________________________________________________________________
M. Sirajdeen, coordinator of the Wildlife and Nature Conservation Trust, said native reed beds helped improve water quality by filtering pollutants, prevent erosion and provide habitat for birds and aquatic life.
They said the civic body should focus on removing invasive species such as water hyacinth and invasive acacia while conserving native reeds.
Corporation Commissioner Katta Ravi Teja said he had deputed Corporation officials to inspect the site following concerns raised by environmentalists.
________________________________________________________________________
Read Also: Urban Missions are important components of our response to climate change: Hardeep Puri
________________________________________________________________________
Corporation officials said the contractor and the excavator operator had mistakenly removed the reed beds after failing to distinguish them from invasive weeds. During an inspection of the lake on Wednesday, officials directed the contractor to stop removing the reeds and restrict the work to clearing water hyacinth and invasive acacia species.
They said the next phase of the work would focus on removing waste from the lake’s inlet to prevent clogging without disturbing the remaining reed beds.
NOTE – This article was originally published in The hindu and can be viewed here
