AMEENPUR (SANGAREDDY DIST): A catwalk by college girls with face painted and carrying the cut-outs of native bird species added zest to the festivities at Ameenpur lake here on Saturday.
The atmosphere at Manohara Ameenpur, a programme organised by the Telangana State Special Protection Force (TSSPF) in association with Hyderabad Birding Pals (HBP) and Friends of Flora and Fauna (FoFF), was upbeat and the event saw a large turnout of youth, including school and college students, and wildlife photography enthusiasts. The wildlife photographers put on display their photos shot on the location enabling the visitors to identify the species of birds that regularly visit the lake, a biodiversity hotspot. The tank attracts 227 species of birds from different parts of the world. Officials also have identified some local varieties of fish in the tank.
“This is one of the important sites that we have to conserve. It is India’s first biodiversity destination identified by the government,” said Aswin Kadiyala, one of the wildlife photographers representing HBP.
Restoration work
As part of the programme to conserve the tank, over 5,000 saplings were planted on the bund and its surrounding areas.
The TSSPF has adopted the Ameenpur lake system on August 7, 2015, and since then, it has taken up many initiatives to protect the tank and improve the ecosystem. The officials too were successful in arresting the release of polluted water and wastage from polluting industries into the tank. As many as 200 staff of the TSSPF have cleaned the tank for over 100 times so far.
Protecting water
Patancheru legislator G. Mahipal Reddy, after participating in the programme, said they have proposed to establish a sewage treatment plant (STP) to clean the tank and said it could be developed as a tourism spot.
Director General of TSSPF, Tejdeep Kaur Menon, said they were making efforts for the past two years to keep the tank clean and avoid pollution. She said a meeting with the Government Special Advisor, Rajiv Sharma, was scheduled for January 31 in which various issues would be discussed, including industrial pollution and establishment of the STP.
