Annual Research & Review in Biology 27(2): 1-13, 2018; Article no.ARRB.41419 ISSN: 2347-565X, NLM ID: 101632869 Survey of Wetlands in and around Tiruppur District, Tamil Nadu, India P. Janaki Priya1 and K. Varunprasath1* 1Department of Zoology, PSG College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. Authors’ contributions This work was carried out in collaboration between both authors. Author KV designed the study, performed the statistical analysis, wrote the protocol, and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. Author PJP managed the literature searches. Both authors read and approved the final manuscript. Article Information DOI: 10.9734/ARRB/2018/41419 Editor(s): (1) Paola Angelini, Department of Applied Biology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy. (2) George Perry, Dean and Professor of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, USA. Reviewers: (1) Jordi Colomer Feliu, University of Girona, Spain. (2) Dina Maria Ribeiro Mateus, Instituto Politécnico de Tomar, Portugal. (3) Eric S. Hall, USA. (4) Gandhiv Kafle, Agriculture and Forestry University, Nepal. Complete Peer review History: http://www.sciencedomain.org/review-history/25115 Received 19th March 2018 rd Original Research Article Accepted 3 June 2018 Published 13th June 2018 ABSTRACT Wetlands are amongst the most productive ecosystem On the Earth [1,2], and provide many important services to human society. Wetlands are one of the most threatened habitats of the world. Wetlands in India, as elsewhere, are increasingly facing several anthropogenic pressures. Urbanization is the irreversible, and most dramatic, transformation of land affecting ecology and natural resources. This study was carried out to document the wetland status from June 2017 to March 2018 in and around Tiruppur district, TamilNadu. The study results demonstrated that there are 88 wetlands in and around Tiruppur districts and that they might be categorized in terms of dimension and state. Out of the 88 wetlands, 68% of the wetlands consist of land plots of less than 5 acres in size, followed by 26% of the wetlands consisting of 6-10 acres in size, 3% of the wetlands were approximately 11-15 acres in size while 3% of the wetlands were over 15 acres. According to the recorded usage of the wetlands, 42% were used for irrigation, 11% for irrigation and fisheries, 3% for recreational activities, and 44% for cattle cleaning, residential purposes including washing clothes, in the booming slums around the wetlands. For wastes dumped on wetlands, 2% were degradable wastes, 44% were non degradable wastes, and 54% were mixed wastes, including both _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ *Corresponding author: E-mail: [email protected]; Priya and Varunprasath; ARRB, 27(2): 1-13, 2018; Article no.ARRB.41419 degradable and non degradable waste. In Tiruppur town, 21% of the wetlands were enclosed by farm land, 8% were encircled by factories/companies, and 71% were surrounded by residential areas. During every summer season, 53% of the wetlands become dried out, 19% were partially dried up, and 28% of the wetlands retained their water holding capacity throughout the year. The results indicated that the decline of wetlands in and around Tiruppur district was due to waste dumping, construction near wetlands, lack of desilting and dredging, blocking of water channels, and the lack of strict laws. Apart from government regulation, creating wetland awareness, enlightened infrastructure development, sustainable water use planning, and implementation of zero discharge facilities practices are necessary in order to prevent the further deterioration on wetlands in Tiruppur district. Keywords: Wetlands; pollution; anthropogenic; urbanization; residential areas; Tiruppur. ABBREVIATIONS WQI: water quality index. 1. INTRODUCTION swamps; coral reefs and marine wetlands, etc. Infact, with the exception of bogs, fens, and Wetlands are globally important ecosystems, typical salt marshes, Indian wetlands cover the which are found on every continent, and are whole range of the ecosystem types found [10]. among the most productive habitats on earth [3,4]. Although they only occupy 6% of the The ‘water-spread’ area of wetlands changes Earth’s surface, they support approximately 20% over seasons. The states of Sikkim, Nagaland, of all living organisms, providing an important Mizoram, Meghalaya, and Jharkhand have more source of biodiversity [4,5]. Inland wetlands than 90% of the total wetland area as water receive water from precipitation, snow melt, river spread area during the post monsoon. Significant outflow, surface overland flow, ground water reduction in water spread area of wetlands from discharge, lake seiches, and seepage from post monsoon to pre monsoon was found in the streams, lakes, ponds and irrigation systems. States of Uttar Pradesh (28%), Chhattisgarh Overall, 1052 sites in Europe, 289 in Asia, 359 in (29%), Himachal Pradesh (29%), Tripura (29%), Africa, 175 in South America, 211 in North Sikkim (30%), Andhra Pradesh (31%), Jharkhand America, and 79 in the Oceania region (The (32.5%), Punjab (33%), Bihar (34%), Gujarat geographical region comprising the Pacific (36%), Karnataka (38.5%), Islands of Micronesia, Melanesia, Polynesia, and Australia) have been identified as Ramsar sites Maharashtra (53.5%), Tamil Nadu (55%), or wetlands of International importance [6]. Madhya Pradesh (57%) and Rajasthan (57%). Wetlands, being dynamic and influenced by both With respect to percentage area under aquatic natural and man-made activities, need frequent vegetation, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka, monitoring [7]. Wetlands occupy about 1,280 Manipur, Orissa, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, million hectares (approximately 512 million and West Bengal have 15–59% of the wetland acres) of the entire world’s surface. However, area under aquatic vegetation [11]. The wetlands about 134,216,253 ha, of the total world in Tamil Nadu consist of lakes, ponds, reservoirs, wetlands, are internationally recognized as and seasonally waterlogged areas. The studies wetlands, and this excludes marine and coastal by SACON show that the wetland area of Tamil wetlands. Presently about 50% of the world Nadu was 1.24% of the total area in 1991. wetlands are lost due to drainage, and water According to the National Wetland Atlas (2011), diversions [8]. Wetlands cover approximately 6% 61% of TamilNadu's wetlands are classified of the Earth’s land surface and contain a large under lakes, ponds, and tanks. As noted above, portion of the world’s biodiversity [9]. Natural 24684 wetlands have been mapped in the Tamil wetlands in India consist of the high altitude Nadu. In addition, 18294 small wetlands (< 2.25 Himalayan Lakes, followed by wetlands situated ha) have also been identified. In India, wetlands in the flood plains of the major river systems, are increasingly facing several anthropogenic saline and temporary wetlands of the arid and pressures. Landscape changes are an important semi-arid regions, coastal wetlands such as aspect, as they play an important role in the lagoons, backwaters and estuaries; mangrove global environment. Due to the exponential 2 Priya and Varunprasath; ARRB, 27(2): 1-13, 2018; Article no.ARRB.41419 industrial growth, since the 1980s, the area. Tiruppur district was formed in 2009, employment rate increased, which increased the carved out of the Coimbatore and Erode, districts number of people arriving from other areas of making it the 32nd district of Tamil Nadu, and Tamil Nadu. Now Tiruppur also hosts a migratory one of the ten most industrialized and workforce. Rapid urbanization and expanding economically developed districts of TamilNadu. industries associated economic activities creates Before the formation of Tiruppur district, tremendous pressure on water resources and Avinashi, Madathukulam, Palladam, Tiruppur, responsible for dumping 300-400 million tons of and Udumalpet were taluks (a subdivision of a heavy metals, solvents, toxic sludge, and other revenue district) of the Coimbatore district, and wastes into water bodies each year in worldwide Dharapuram and Kangeyam were taluks of the [12]. According to recent estimates, more than 70 Erode district. The district is surrounded by the per cent of industrial wastes in developing Coimbatore district in the west, The Erode district countries are dumped untreated into adjacent to the North and northeast, the Karur district in water resources. The aim of this study was to the East, and the Dindigul district in the South record the present status of wetlands in Tiruppur east. The south of the district is surrounded by district and the influence of the anthropogenic Kerala state (Idukki district). In 2011, the activities on wetlands. Tiruppur Corporation area limit was extended to 159 sq. km, which now encompasses 60 wards, 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS by merging nearby Velampalayam Municipality, Nallur Municipality, Andipalayam, Chettipalayam, 2.1 Study Area Mannarai, Muthanampalayam, Murugampalayam, Veerapandi, Neruperichal, Tiruppur town (Tier II cities) is located at and Thottipalayam village panchayats (a village (latitude: 11º.05’N, longitude: 77º.20’E). The total council in India). Tiruppur now has an area of area of the district is 5186.34 sq. kms, with a 159 sq. km, with a population of 8.78 lakhs per population of 24, 790,520. It is India’s top textile the 2011census. The city has an area of 159 sq. Map 1. A satellite map showing the location of the wetlands (in red circles) of Tiruppur