SILCHAR: India is a megabiodiversity country and north-east, in particular, is a hotspot of biodiversity in the world being gifted with innumerable water resources in the form of wetlands, lakes and rivers with biodiversity of resources in them. It is also a fact that the depleting water bodies and fish resources along with bioresources are a matter of concern.

In order to dwell deep into the problem, division of wetlands, fishery science and aquaculture in the Department of Life Science and Bioinformatics under the School of Life Sciences, Assam University, Silchar, organized a 2 day international symposium entitled ‘Frontiers of Wetlands, Fisheries and Aquaculture Research in the New Millennium’ recently.

The plan of the district administration to de-silt Canoly canal and the Kallayi river as part of a beautification drive is likely to have an adverse impact on large acres of wetland in and around Kottuli, according to a latest study conducted by a researcher from the Department of Architecture, National Institute of Technology-Calicut.

Kottuli wetland is one of the largest eco- patches within the city limits identified by the Ministry of Environment and Forests under National Wetland Conservation Programme.

A major report that will help countries understand the economic value of inland wetlands, which cover a vast area of the earth’s land surface and provide key ecosystem services, was released at the conference of the Convention on Biological Diversity here on Tuesday. The message ofthe report is simply, ‘drain it, lose it.’

Inland wetlands cover at least 9.5 million sq km of the earth’s surface, and together with coastal wetlands, 12.8 million sq km. Restoration of this particular type of ecosystem is the most expensive. These water bodies provide clean water for drinking and agriculture, cooling water for the energy sector; they also regulate floods. Agriculture, fisheries and tourism sectors depend heavily on the health of wetlands.

Adviser to MoEF visits Sasthamcotta, Ashtamudi lakes

Siddharth Kaul, adviser on wetland conservation to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), has said that a comprehensive management action plan (MAP) is vital for the effective conservation of the Sasthamcotta and Ashtamudi lakes, both Ramsar sites, in Kollam district. Interacting with officials, environment activists and representatives of the people here on Tuesday after assessing the condition of the lakes earlier in the day, Dr. Kaul said he was particularly shocked to see the Ashtamudi lake. “But it is not late; the lakes can definitely be saved.”

Aug. 8: Dispur has given the green signal for setting up Guwahati Waterbodies Regulatory Authority to protect wetlands from being converted for other purposes.

Say over 90 acres of wetlands converted in the last one decade

The controversy over the proposed private international airport project at Aranmula has taken curious turns with the Cabinet decision to regularise conversion of paddy fields and wetlands that have taken place prior to 2005 as well as the clearances reportedly given by various government agencies for the project, allegedly violating prevailing laws, rules and regulations.

Reclamation of paddy fields and wetland and razing of hills are rampant in the State, chairman of Assembly committee on environment C.P. Mohammed has said.

After tabling a report of the committee in the Assembly on Wednesday, Mr. Mohammed told reporters that the officers of the Revenue Department were shirking their responsibility of enforcing the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act.

Sensors would be installed at 10 strategic locations in the Chilika lake as a part of the monitoring system to telemetrically transmit data to the research centre on real time basis, every 15 minut