Smart Cities works destroy wetland ecosystem in Krishnampathy tank in Coimbatore

September 11, 2022 07:58 pm | Updated September 12, 2022 08:34 am IST - COIMBATORE

A road being developed using an earthmover inside Krishnampathy tank in Coimbatore on Sunday.

A road being developed using an earthmover inside Krishnampathy tank in Coimbatore on Sunday. | Photo Credit: M. Periasamy

The Smart Cities Mission works, including development of roads and bunds, in Krishnampathy tank at the behest of the Coimbatore Corporation have destroyed the wetland ecosystem, allege nature enthusiasts.

Though the damage caused to the wetland ecosystem was brought to the attention of the authorities, the works continue. There is no scientific study or assessment on the impact on birds and several other creatures that inhabit the waterbody, they claimed.

A researcher told The Hindu edges of the tank, which used to have shallow waters that were very important for shore birds, had been dug into deep pits. The mud removed had been used to lay roads and bunds inside the water body. Further, concrete pathways had already been built around a major portion of the tank which bordered Poosaripalayam Road and Sundapalayam Road. The researcher pointed out that unscientific digging and creation of deep pits might also prove fatal for people who ventured into the tank.

In the Asian Waterbird Census held in January this year, Krishnampathy tank had topped the list of 29 wetlands in the district in terms of bird variety and population – 88 species and 1,065 birds counted. The tank is also a breeding habitat of several waterbirds including Bronze-winged jacana, Painted-snipe, Common coot, Cormorants, Spot-billed duck, Eurasian Moorhen, Grey-headed Swamphen.

Sources with the Corporation said the plan was to construct a natural water filtering system by creating layers of bunds. The system would prevent solid waste, including plastic, from entering the tank, the sources said.

K. Mohanraj of Save Coimbatore Wetlands said that accumulation of solid waste in tanks was the result of improper waste management by the Corporation. Had the solid waste collected properly, they would not have entered waterbodies, he said.

“Similarly, household sewage should ideally be carried to treatment plants through underground drainage. But domestic sewage is let into tanks now,” he said.

Corporation Commissioner M. Prathap said he would check the construction works that were being carried out inside the tank.

Top News Today

Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.