1 Eco News, Vol. 19, No. 2 July - September 2013 C.P.R. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTRE

Established in 1989 ✯ Kerala ✯ Maharashtra ✯ 1980 - The C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar ✯ Orissa Foundation starts nature education for ✯ Tamilnadu teachers and students. ✯ Puducherry ✯ 1989 - C.P.R. Environmental Education Centre (CPREEC) established jointly NGO Network by the Ministry of Environment and Forests and the C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar CPREEC has an extensive network of about Foundation as a Centre of Excellence of 600 NGOs. All educational programmes are the Ministry of Environment and Forests. carried out in partnership with select NGOs, Government of . Universities, Colleges and Schools. Our Mission Publications ✯ To increase knowledge, awareness and ✯ interest among the public about the Activity and information books and pam- environment in all its aspects phlets for children ✯ ✯ To develop resource materials for Environmental training guides and kits environmental education and for teachers awareness raising ✯ Researched Publications ✯ To conduct training programmes for a ✯ Colourful and informative posters wide cross-section of people ✯ ECONEWS - A quarterly magazine ✯ To take up environmental projects for ✯ Indian Journal of Environmental demonstration and research Education, a peer-reviewed journal

Our Activities Exhibitions

✯ Training and awareness raising CPREEC designs three new exhibitions ev- ✯ Awareness to and through action ery year and has a bank of mobile ✯ Awareness programmes in ecologically exhibitions that travel all over India. fragile areas ✯ Conservation of the ecological heritage Environmental Education ✯ Research and surveys ✯ Generation of resource materials ✯ Green Schools of India (GSI) ✯ Exhibitions ✯ Training programmes for Teachers ✯ Courses, seminars and symposia ✯ Training programmes for School and Facilities College Students ✯ Environmental Law Education ✯ Environmental Laboratory ✯ Library Special Projects ✯ Computer Division

✯ Publications Division ✯ National Green Corps (NGC) ✯ Biomedical Waste Geographical Spread ✯ Biodiversity Conservation

CPREEC’s activities extend to Research and Surveys

✯ Andaman & Nicobar Islands ✯ Sustainable Technologies ✯ Andhra Pradesh ✯ Surveys of Natural Resources ✯ Goa ✯ Socio-Economic Surveys ✯ Karnataka ✯ Lab to Field Technology Transfer

2 Eco News, Vol. 19, No. 2 July - September 2013 Water is one of the pre-requisites Dr. T. Sundaramoorthy has written about for life on earth. No living creatures or the importance of the restoration of the plant can exist without it. It is also ancient temple tanks as also the cleaning essential for the preservation of the up of the rivers through the environment. The United Nations has Chennai River Restoration Trust (CRRT), designated the year 2013 as the M. Lakshmi Sree discusses the Cooum, International Year of Water Cooperation. Water and Biodiversity is also the once a fresh water river and now a theme for the International Day for stream of sewage, in Chennai, while Biological Diversity in 2013. This M. Amirthalingm writes about Chennai’s provides a platform for the parties to shrinking wetlands. P. Sudhakar makes the convention on Biological Diversity a case for preserving the biodiversity of (CBD) as also the world community in the parks of Chennai and the importance general to be seized of this matter and of protecting these green patches that take pro-active steps to not only create act as the lungs of Chennai city. Following awareness about this vital issue, but also to take positive measures to solve this, M. Kumaravelu has highlighted this problem. CPREEC, for its part, is the Benagudi Shola sacred grove of the bringing out a quarterly Newsletter Nilgiris and the cultural and spiritual entitled “Eco News” that focuses on values that they help to preserve even these vital issues affecting our water today. Finally, there is an article on the security as well as the environmental toxicity of the Musi River in Hyderabad challenges facing our community. and the spread of Zoonatic diseases through the food habits of birds. Chennai city has been facing a severe water crisis since the 1980s and there is an urgent need for an immediate urban renewal programme that will tackle the Nanditha Krishna problems of urbanization and pollution. Editor

3 Eco News, Vol. 19, No. 2 July - September 2013 Contents

Conservation of Water Resources of Chennai – The Need of the hour ------5

River Cooum : A Boon or Bane to Chennai ------9

Chennai’s wetlands: A shrinking natural heritage ------12

Life Forms of Park Flora------16

Banagudi Shola ------18

Geo-engineering ------21

Significance of Bioindicators ------24

Plastics threats to Musi birds – Disease spreads for Hyderabad’s ------27

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4 Eco News, Vol. 19, No. 2 July - September 2013 Conserving the Water Resources of Chennai – The Need of the Hour T. Sundaramoorthy

Introduction The major problem with India’s water Tamilnadu’s geographic area can be resources is that it varies greatly over both grouped into 17 river basins (127 Sub time and space. Nearly three-quarters of Basins) a majority of which are water- India’s rain comes pouring down during stressed. There are 61 major reservoirs, the four months of the monsoon. For the about 40,000 tanks (traditional water rest of the year, the country remains harvesting structures) and about 3 million relatively dry. There are 14 major, 44 wells that heavily utilize the available medium and 55 minor river basins in surface water and groundwater. our country. India has an annual Approximately 30% of the net irrigated exploitable groundwater of 26.5 million area of 30 lakh hectares is watered by hectare meters. India’s groundwater canals and 21% by tanks, while 49% is resources are about 10 times its annual fed by wells. The remaining area is irrigated rainfall. But this water is declining in by other sources such as streams and many areas due to the developmental springs. activities. The average rainfall in India is about 1200 mm. It is a little above the Conservation of Chennai River Basin global mean precipitation of 990 mm. The Chennai river basin comprises of River basin conservation is thus very Araniyar, Kosasthalaiyar, Cooum and essential for drinking water, agriculture Adyar rivers. The length of the river basin and others. is 329 km passing through Thiruvallur, parts of Kancheepuram and Vellore Water resources in Tamilnadu districts in Tamilnadu. Tamilnadu is one of the driest states in India, averaging only 925 millimeters of The urban expansion of Chennai city is rainfall a year. Per capita availability of one of the fastest in the country. The water resources in Tamilnadu is only present metropolitan area of Chennai 900 cubic meters a year, compared with city is 1189 sq. kms. and the present 2,200 cubic meters for the whole of India. population is about 5 million. The The state’s dry season lasts five months population density is 26,903 per sq.km. (January through May) even in good years, The expansion of the city is happening and severe droughts occur in 3 of 10 years, in the two neighbouring districts of severely limiting cultivation of crops and Thiruvallur. The between June and September. A recent Government of Tamilnadu is planning to series of droughts and water shortages include the entire districts of has highlighted the importance of Kanchipuram and Thiruvallur and a part good water resources and irrigation of Vellore district to form the proposed management. new Chennai Metropolitan Area with an

5 Eco News, Vol. 19, No. 2 July - September 2013 area of 8,878 sq. kms. As per the study there are about 3600 water bodies carried out by Madras Institute of (irrigation tanks). Apart from this, there Development Studies (MIDS, 2013), are temple tanks and ponds.

The major water bodies supplying drinking water to Chennai are as follows:

Storage of Chennai City Water Supply Reservoirs

Reservoirs Gross Capacity Live Capacity Catchment Area Water (MCM) (MCM) (km2) spread Area (ha)

Chembarambakkam 88.30 87.80 77 350 1.04 4.90 22.64 320 Poondi 77.90 77.40 2704 3230 Red Hills 80.75 80.25 59.57 2086 Sholavaram 25.63 25.43 28.33 2258

(Source: Public Works Department, Government of Tamilnadu)

Chennai is famous for its temples. Several temples have a temple tank within its premises. The temple tanks help in increasing the water table in residential areas. The list of major temple tanks in Chennai city is given below:

Major Temple Tanks in Chennai City serving as storage tanks

S. No. Name of the temple Place

1. Thiagaraja Swamy Thiruvottriyur 2. Kalyana Venkatesa Perumal Kaladipet 3. Angala Parameswari 4. Arunachaleswarar Tondiyarpet 5. Kasi Viswanatha Swamy Peddanaikenpet 6. Manneswarar George Town 7. Krishnan Mannadi 8. Ekambareswarar Mint 9. Kachaleeswarar George Town 10. Angala Parameswari 11. Kandasamy Kosapet 12. Gangatheeswarar 13. Agatheeswarar 14. Karaneeswarar 15. Prasanna Venkatesar Saidapet 16. Agatheeswarar 17. Andavar Vadapalani 18. Masilamaneeswarar Thirumullaivoil 19. Adipuriswarar Chindadripet 20. Parasuramalingeswarar

6 Eco News, Vol. 19, No. 2 July - September 2013 S. No. Name of the temple Place

21. Kasi Viswanatha Swamy Ayanavaram 22. Velleswarar 23. Kothandaramasamy West 24. Marundeeswarar 25. Kapaleeswarar 26. Virupaksheeswarar Mylapore 27. Adikesava Perumal Mylapore 28. Parthasarathy 29. Kandeeswarar 30. Thiruvottiswarar Triplicane 31. Vengeswarar 32. Raveeswarar 33. Karapadrasamigal Madam Vyasarpadi 34. Kasi Viswanathasamy St. Thomas Mount 35. Chengaluneer Pillaiyar Mannady 36. Karungaleeswarar

(Source: Public Works Department, Government of Tamilnadu)

CPREEC has documented about 50 temple human settlement, special economic tanks in Chennai city (Source: Temple zones, etc. Tanks of Chennai city, 2004). There will be more than 250 temple tanks if the The major rivers of the proposed Chennai proposed Chennai Metropolitan Area is Metropolitan Area serving as water formed comprising of Chennai, resources to the Chennai city will be the Kanchipuram, Thiruvallur and parts of Palar, Kosasthalaiyar and Araniyar while Vellore districts. The exact number of the Cooum and Adyar have been polluted small lakes and ponds in the proposed to a greater extent. The Cheyyar – Kiliyar Chennai Metropolitan Area is not known. sub basin will also serve as an additional water resource. Suggested measures to be taken up for The protection of catchment area, water the conservation and protection of the spread area is very essential for water resources of Chennai augmenting the drinking water needs, The expansion of Chennai city will directly other domestic and industrial needs. At have an impact on the water resources present, the State Government is providing due to urbanization which leads to high drinking water from the tanks supported population density, industrialization, etc. by the various river basins apart from Already, the present city is facing acute the desalination plant near Chennai. water shortage, ground water depletion, Moreover, Chennai city is also getting sea water intrusion in the coastal areas, water from the Krishna river and Veeranam encroachment of tanks and eris for tank. Many of the industrial needs are housing, office complexes and garbage fulfilled by utilizing the salt water, ground disposal yard. Moreover, the agricultural water and recycled water. land in the proposed Chennai Metropolitan Area will also get converted The study made by the MIDS using the for developmental activities such as GIS technique, provides the distribution

7 Eco News, Vol. 19, No. 2 July - September 2013 of the major tanks in the districts of clubs of the Government of Tamilnadu. Kanchipuram, Thiruvallur and part of These students may be involved in water Vellore. The baseline data needs to be quality monitoring of temple tanks and strengthened by further environmental other water bodies and to increase the studies. This will help in the long term awareness level on water conservation conservation of water resources. among the public and observe the following environmental days: The role of college students in water conservation ❖ Observing Wetland Day There are about 200 colleges comprising ❖ Observing Water Day of engineering, arts and science, medical, ❖ Observing International Day for para medical, teacher training institutes, Biological Diversity polytechnics, in the districts of Chennai, ❖ Observing World Environment Day Kanchipuram, Thiruvallur and Vellore. ❖ Observing Wildlife Week As part of the curriculum and project work, students may be involved in The role of community in water documenting, monitoring and studying conservation the water quality of rivers. Presently, Lake Protection and Monitoring the water quality of selected tanks is Committees may be formed by the Public being monitored by the Public Works Works Department (PWD), Government of Department under IAMWARM Project. Tamilnadu involving the local community The periodicity of monitoring is around the water body to protect it from comparatively low. Involvement of not letting out the sewage and dumping students will be a fruitful venture. garbage. Engineering Colleges may be assigned to map the temple tanks and other The Public Works Department (PWD), irrigation tanks. The Environmental Government of Tamilnadu may bring out Engineering Department and the Arts an Atlas on the available irrigation tanks. & Science Colleges may be involved in Religious & Charitable preparing the biodiversity registers and Endowment Department (HR&CE), monitoring the water quality. The Government of Tamilnadu may also students of other disciplines may be provide the list of tanks under their assigned to document the historical and maintenance. Restoration of temple social aspects of the water bodies. All the tanks may also be entrusted with students may be involved in maintaining Corporates as part of their Corporate the rainwater harvesting structures in Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative. their colleges, other government and public buildings in their neighbourhood The Government of Tamilnadu has and also the desilting and maintenance proposed to clean up the rivers and of canals that link the temple tanks. canals flowing through Chennai city through the Chennai Rivers Restoration The role of school students in water Trust (CRRT). In order to protect the conservation tanks, the trust may also take up conservation and restoration of lakes. There are about 600 schools under All these measures will go a long way National Green Corps of the Ministry of in improving the water resources Environment and Forests, Government of management of the Chennai India and about 600 schools under Eco Metropolitan Area.

8 Eco News, Vol. 19, No. 2 July - September 2013 River Cooum : A Boon or Bane to Chennai M. Lakshmi Sree

If anyone thinks of Chennai – they and the nearby Elambore river (North River) immediately associate it with the Marina which flows into the Cooum at its mouth beach, the famous Kapaleeswarar temple, were running very close opposite to the the Basilica, the aroma of present Central Station and inundated the filter coffee, Madras Tamil (the slang), the whole area during floods. During 1700, the graffiti of the heroes of Kollywood, the two rivers were linked by a cut to equalize speeding electric trains, the frequent the floods and a bridge was constructed traffic snarls due to Metro Rail work, etc. in 1710 across the cut bridging the rivers. and last, but not the least, the ever In the late 18th century, a renowned stinking which welcomes philanthropist – Pachaiyappa Mudaliar had a train passenger coming to the city bathed in the river before offering prayers from any part of the country – east, west, at the Komaleeswaranpet Temple in north or south. Even passengers flying . in get an aerial glimpse of the Cooum minus the stench!!!!! The Cooum river originates at a place called Cooum – near Kesavaram anicut in The Cooum is presently a polluted river Thiruvallur district and drains into the spoiled by filth and pollution. In earlier . The Cooum receives water days, the river was very clean and was from the Kosasthalaiyar basin by the called as the Triplicane river. It was Kesavaram anicut diversion and the old used as an inland waterway to transport Bangaru channel in the upstream. The goods for maritime trade to the Roman anicut at on the Cooum and new Empire and Sri Lanka. The river’s Bangaru channel takes off on the right proximity to the ancient port city of bank to feed the Chembarambakkam Manarpha or Mylapore was very vital to Lake in the Adyar basin which supplies trade. Roman merchants came to buy drinking water to the people of Chennai Indian textiles, gemstones and spices in apart from the Poondi, Red Hills and exchange for gold, silver, copper and reservoirs of the quality wine. Archaeologists have Kosasthaliyar basin and Porur reservoirs discovered ancient wine jars, Roman of the Adyar basin. There is very little and Chinese coins on the banks of the flow in the Cooum river as it approaches Cooum. In ancient days, the Cooum river Chennai city.

Total length of the River - 65.00 Km City limit of the River - 17.98 Km Catchment Area - 139.8 Sq. Km Maximum Flood Discharge - 19000 Cusecs

(Source: Public Works Department, Government of Tamilnadu)

9 Eco News, Vol. 19, No. 2 July - September 2013 Flowing through Poonamalle, the river The river Cooum was once a fresh water enters at . source but today it has become a drainage The river flows through the three course inside Chennai city, collecting corporation zones of , Nungam- surpluses of 75 small tanks of a minor bakkam and Triplicane. The major basin. The river is narrow, placid and residential areas covered by the river are meandering. There are more than 9000 , , and families living along the river in addition Chintadripet. The river splits into two to 450 shops and business establishment near Chintadripet and again joins at or commercial buildings, invariably Napier bridge forming the Island Grounds polluting the river. There are about 700 which is a major islet. The mouth of the odd points in the river bank letting sewage Cooum river is not too wide. The river directly into the river. Out of the identified mouth has groynes running to a total 127 sewage outfalls into the river, 85 are length of nearly 250 m. The opening still in use. The majority of the outfalls between the groynes is about 170 m to are located between and facilitate tidal action and the impact of Nungambakkam in Chennai city. It is also high tide bringing in sea water is felt for stated that nearly 30% of the estimated nearly 3 km in the river. The river is 55 million litres of untreated sewage is let periodically cleaned to prevent sand into the Cooum river. In , it deposits near the river mouth very close is estimated that more than 7 tonnes of to the Napier Bridge and the sand is municipal solid waste is dumped into the removed at frequent intervals to facilitate river every day. tidal action and to avoid flooding. About 80,000 cubic metres of sand were removed Industries let out effluents directly into in 2010 – 2011. the nearby drains reaching the river or supply channels of tanks, thus leading Once a fishing river, it has borne the to water pollution. Even though major brunt of the city’s unplanned expansion. industries on the sub-basin have set up In 1950, the river housed 49 species of treatment plants, the field in and around fish which came down to 21 by the late the sub-basin has been polluted by the 1970s. Today, there are no fish due to treated effluents disposed by these high toxic pollutants in the river. The industries. water quality is highly toxic and completely non-potable. The water has The classification of industries on the almost no dissolved oxygen and has river basin is given below: sewage and sludge in plenty.

Classification / Category Large Medium Small

Red 32 24 223 Orange 87 124 331 Green 7 22 37

(Source: Public Works Department, Government of Tamilnadu)

10 Eco News, Vol. 19, No. 2 July - September 2013 The Corporation of Chennai maintains 13 bridges on the river. The major bridges on the river excluding small bridges are:

❏ Napier Bridge ❏ Wallajah Bridge ❏ Bridge ❏ Chintradripet Bridge or St.Andrew’s Bridge ❏ Harris Bridge ❏ Commander-in-Chief Road Bridge ❏ College Road Bridge ❏ Spur Tank Bridge and ❏ Aminjikarai Bridge are formation of sand bars at the mouth, A new bridge across the Cooum connecting discharge of untreated sewage, industrial Golden George Nagar in with effluents and encroachments along the is being constructed by banks of the river downstream which the State Highways Department. It is a has been severely polluted. 10 span bridge measuring about 110 m long and nearly 24 m wide, accommodating Due to contamination of drinking water six-lane traffic, with space provisions for people suffer. People living along the river bicycles and pedestrians. basin suffer from acute diarrhoea. The other major diseases are dysentery and Aquatic weeds Kadal palai (Ipomoea) are jaundice. This is especially so during the found in 80% of the tanks in the sub- rainy season. basin restricting the water storage and loss in capacity of the tanks. The Government of Tamilnadu has constituted the Chennai Rivers Another major threat to the river basin is Restoration Trust (CRRT) which has taken illegal sand mining which has increased up a detailed study to clean the Cooum alarmingly of late. Excess quarrying of causeway. It will submit its findings by sand from the Cooum river near A.N. November 2013 to the State government. Kuppam anicut had resulted in washing The government has proposed to clean away of the anicut portion. The causeway the river between Paruthipattu anicut near Thiruvallur Railway station across near and the river mouth later the Cooum, the Bridge across this year. The State government has Kosathalaiyar on the Chennai – Kolkata sought a coordinated approach with highway and the Tamaraipakkam various departments to reduce pollution anicut were affected due to excess sand in the river and to prevent dumping of quarrying. solid waste and closing the sewer lines that flow into the river. Mangrove Sea water has intruded at many places plantations will be carried out in the which have resulted in the loss of soil Cooum estuary near the Island grounds fertility for cropping. The areas in the to minimize pollution and to restore belt and over 10000 ha. land in biodiversity. In the long run, the state Gummidipoondi, Cholavaram and government has also planned to blocks are affected by salt water intrusion. establish parks and waterways in the The intense use of surface water for urbanized stretches. It was also reported agricultural purposes upstream and the recently that it is proposed to increase pumping of ground water have led to the the tree cover of Chennai city to 33.3% reduction in base flow of the Cooum river. by planting palmyra trees along the The other reasons for the polluted Cooum banks of the Cooum.

11 Eco News, Vol. 19, No. 2 July - September 2013 Chennai’s Wetlands: A Shrinking Natural Heritage M. Amirthalingam

The history of the region where the ground water to a sufficient level so as to modern city of Chennai now stands goes support vegetation that can grow in back to the ancient period. However, the such a type of soil. It includes marshes, origin of the present city goes back to swamps, jheels, lakes, peat lands, wet only about 372 years. Chennai city is meadows and estuaries (World Wide Fund- today the fourth largest metropolitan India, 1987). Wetlands are the home of city in the country. It comprises of the varied and endangered living organisms. revenue district of Chennai along with They also act as a natural drain and a the adjoining portions of Kanchipuram major source of groundwater recharge. and district. It occupies an They are helpful in charging the aquifers area of about 1,189 square kilometres. In of the region and are home to diverse 1639 AD, the English East India Company and fragile living organisms. They are was on the lookout for a suitable strip of instrumental in checking floods, land on which to construct a fort and a preventing coastal erosion and minimising factory. They made a reconnaissance of the effect of cyclones. They can serve as the coast and finally decided upon a reservoirs of water and are the natural piece of land between the Coovam and habitat for various species of birds and the Elumur River which enter the sea. The animals. area was then ruled by Peda Venkata Raya, Raja of Chandragiri – Vellore who These tanks were mainly irrigated by was the descendant of the famous Rajas the monsoons and dried up in summer. of Vijayanagar. They accordingly entered The local people use these tanks as their into a lease agreement with the Raja main source of water supply. However, and established a settlement there over the years the upkeep of these tanks which was subsequently named as has been neglected and they were soon Madrasapatanam. filled with garbage and waste material. Cattle were being washed in them and The area of the settlement was the surroundings of the tanks were being approximately 14 kms long and 4-6 km used as an open toilet. Hence, they soon broad. It was mainly agricultural in became a health hazard. In addition, the nature and irrigated by large tanks. In unplanned and rapid urbanization led fact, the old British maps show the area to the further degradation of these almost entirely occupied by tanks and tanks and, in some cases, led to their ponds which have disappeared today disappearance. due to developmental activities even during the colonial period. There are about 3000 tanks and ponds big and small in the Chennai area. Some Wetlands can be defined as pieces of of the important tanks are , land that are inundated or saturated by Velachery, Thoraipakkam, ,

12 Eco News, Vol. 19, No. 2 July - September 2013 , Maraimalainagar, completely destroyed, thus resulting in Kilkattalai, , Adhambakkam, water logging during the monsoon. Puzhudhivakkam, Thalakanancheri, , and These developmental activities which so on. These tanks can be classified as have been undertaken without taking endangered. into consideration the natural drainage factors have resulted in the blocking up The problem has been further of the natural outlet of the water bodies. compounded by the nexus between the The net result is that the natural runoff political parties and the land developers. water gets blocked thus resulting in These two interest groups have floods in the area. A good example is that connived to grab vast tracts of valuable of the Velacherry – Madipakkam - land and have begun constructing flats, belt which the scene of complexes, colleges, concrete roads, floods every year. over-bridges, railway tracks, etc. Another factor that has led to the degradation of It is estimated that about two decades these tanks has been the illegal ago that there were 650 water bodies occupation by squatters and the existing in the Chennai region. About homeless poor. Due to these factors the half-of them were located south of the natural drainage systems by inlet and . Out of the total of 1,130 outlet of the tanks or lakes have been hectares of water bodies only about 645

13 Eco News, Vol. 19, No. 2 July - September 2013 14 Eco News, Vol. 19, No. 2 July - September 2013 hectares now exist. This has adversely this lake is 86.86 acres which has affected the water storage capacity of subsequently shrunk to 47 acres due to the Chennai region. The situation has encroachments such as the development reached such a pass that it is officially of the district court, bus terminal and the estimated that only 19 out of the 29 taluk office. This lake is existing water bodies can be restored. getting water through 3 channels from Other water bodies such as Ullagaram, the foothills. However, in this region the , Thalakanacheri, Mogappair water table level is higher than in other and Senneerkuppam are considered areas. This lake is further contaminated beyond restoration. In the case of water by household sewage and waste from channels like inlet and outlet they have commercial establishments. completely disappeared (Srivathsan and Lakshmi, 2013). Conclusion It is clear that the major challenge to the Several examples can be cited to survival of these wetlands comes from substantiate the destruction of water factors such as the pressure of human bodies. For example, the Adambakkam population, unplanned urbanisation, Lake is being closed due to the Metro industrialization, developmental activities Rail work and a concretised road leading such as dumping of solid waste, from Velachery to GST Road is being discharging sewage and encroachments. built. Similarly, Madipakkam Lake has It is extremely essential that the become a dumping yard for garbage and government should draw up an immediate the water is not fit for any use. And on urban renewal programme incorporating the other side construction of buildings is such factors such as encroachment, going on apace. Another instance that can development of illegal housing colonies be cited is that of the Puzhudhivakkam and dumping of solid waste and pollution Lake which was once an important from domestic cum industrial sources. reservoir and used to host a number of Besides this, a vital role can be played by rare birds. This valuable natural resource NGOs, naturalists and concerned public has now been gradually converted into a in increasing awareness of the importance housing colony. Inundation in of preserving the existing wetlands of Puzhudhivakkam and Madipakkam is greater Chennai. caused by the disappearance of the Veerangal Odai which connects the Reference Adambakkam and the Pallikaranai marsh. 1. “Wetlands status and Management in India - An Overview”, World Wide According to Water Resource Department Fund-India, p. 4, 1987. (WRD), only 19 of the 29 important water bodies in Chennai region can be revived. 2. Anonymous, Directory of Wetlands in Other water bodies such as Ullagaram, India, Ministry of Environment and Adambakkam, Thalakanacheri are beyond Forests, New Delhi, 1988. redemption. The situation in the case of lost water channels is even worse since 3. “Indian wetlands in conservation list”, they have entirely disappeared. The Hindu, December 25, 2002.

Chitlapakkam Lake was once the water 4. Srivathsan, A. and K. Lakshmi, source for the and “Chennai’s vanishing water bodies”, Hastinapuram villages. The total area of The Hindu, June 6, 2013.

15 Eco News, Vol. 19, No. 2 July - September 2013 Life Forms of Park Flora

P. Sudhakar

A park is usually characterised by the these trees are also of rare occurrence in presence of trees useful for various the entire flora of Chennai and its purposes such as avenues, specimen neighbourhood (Livingstone & Henry, trees or for aesthetic purposes and for 1994). They include Ailanthus excelsa, providing shade. The park flora is Barringtonia acutangula, Berrya cordifolia, dominated by trees. Flora of Chennai parks Caesalpinia ferrea, Citrus limon, Clusia comprises of 40% of trees. rosea, Corypha macropoda, Crateva adansonii ssp. odora, Eucalyptus Some of the most common trees include torelliana, Guaicum officinale, Hura Azadirachta indica, Delonix regia, crepitans, Putranjiva roxburghii, Saraca Guazuma ulmifolia, Millingtonia hortensis, asoca and Strychnos nux-vomica. These Peltophorum pterocarpum, Polyalthia trees arouse interest due to their form, longifolia, Pongamia pinnata, Samanea flowers, rarity and uses. saman, Tabebuia rosea and Terminalia catappa. Caesalpinia ferrea is a species of rare occurrence and its auto-grafting Herbs represent 28% of the flora of phenomenon along with aesthetic Chennai parks which include both patterns of bark calls for attention. plants of ornamental value as well as weeds. Some of the common herbs are Acalypha indica, Acalypha wilkesiana, Achyranthes aspera, Aerva lanata, Alternanthera betzickiana, Catharanthus roseus, Cleome viscosa, Evolvulus alsinoides, Gomphrena serrata, Sphagneticola trilobata and Tridax procumbens.

Shrubs have a unique place in parks as hedges or as ornamental bushes or topiary plants. 20% of the total plants of the Chennai parks are shrubs. The predominant shrub that is used as a Some of the rare trees of park seem to hedge is Clerodendrum inerme. This have been a part of the natural landscape shrub is preferred for its hardiness, for and can be called remnants of past its amenability for pruning and for its vegetation. Barringtonia acutangula, a unpalatability for cattle. semi-aquatic tree is located in three parks, all of which are adjacent to water Trees of Rare Occurrence bodies, though at present these parks are A number of plants are restricted to one distanced from the water bodies. Both or two parks in their occurrence. Many of Natesan Park and Nageswara Rao Park

16 Eco News, Vol. 19, No. 2 July - September 2013 were originally lakes which were eventually Rajbhandari, 1998). Similarly, weeds of filled and converted into parks. Both these lawns have also been extensively parks harbour Barringtonia acutangula documented. These include both native as well as Borassus flabellifer as a and naturalised species. The majority of remnant species. the weed flora colonise in open places. Some of the native species of weeds Trees of Common Occurrence include Acalypha indica, Achyranthes A number of trees are common to two aspera, Aerva lanata, Aristida setacea, thirds of the parks. They include both Blepharis repens, Cleome viscosa, ornamental and other species. Many of Crotalaria medicaginea, Evolvulus these trees are also the commonest trees alsinoides, Hybanthes enneaspermus, of Chennai (Sudhakar, 1991; Narasimhan Indigofera linnaei and Leucas indica. & Pauline, 2010). They include Notable naturalised alien weeds include Azadirachta indica, Cassia fistula, Ageratum conyzoides, Amaranthus Delonix regia, Ficus benjamina, Guazuma spinosus, Argemone mexicana, Euphorbia ulmifolia, Millingtonia hortensis, cyathophora, Hyptis suaveolens, Mimosa Peltophorum pterocarpum, Polyalthia pudica, Parthenium hysterophorus, longifolia, Pisonia alba, Pongamia pinnata, Passiflora foetida and Tridax Samanea saman, Tabebuia rosea and procumbens. Terminalia catappa. A few cultivars of Lantana are grown in The majority of these trees are well a few parks for ornamental purposes. stocked in the nurseries of the forest However, a wild form of Lantana camara department and other commercial also occurs as a naturalised weed in many horticultural establishments. Hence parks. Many of the naturalised weeds have distribution and planting of these trees is already either turned invasive or have the cheaper and convenient for landscapers potential to turn invasive (Narasimhan et. as well as other promoters of parks and al. 2009). Many of the plants that occur gardens. This explains the abundance of as weeds have medicinal properties and these trees in many of the parks. are referred to in medical texts of both Ayurveda and Siddha systems (http:// The entire Chennai flora is dominated by tnenvis.nic.in). In fact, the local people in four or five trees, namely, Delonix regia, some areas do harvest these weeds for Polyalthia longifolia, Peltophorum medicinal purposes. pterocarpum, Samanea saman and Terminalia catappa. Apart from the easy Two weeds that are commonly harvested availability of planting material, the high by the local people are Acalypha indica survival rate of these trees is another and Phyllanthus amarus. Some of the reason for their preference and spread. plants that were introduced as Many of these species are quite hardy, ornamentals have turned invasive in salty and drought tolerant as well as they several parts of India. Sphagneticola are able to withstand cyclones. trilobata is a recent example of such species that is spreading quite fast in Weed Flora of the Parks shady and moist places. Any human interfered ecosystem promotes the growth of herbaceous The parks of Chennai do not have large weeds that are mostly heliophyllous. sprawling lawns due to space constraints. Weeds of agro-ecosystem have been well Hence, lawns always occur as small studied (Mani et. al. 1968; Ranjit, patches that result in a less number of

17 Eco News, Vol. 19, No. 2 July - September 2013 weeds. The lawns of Chennai parks are Nadu. Proc. Natl. Sem. Invasive Alien dominated by Cynodon dactylon as a Species. ENVIS Centre, Dept. of lawn grass which is a dense mat forming Environment, Govt. of Tamil Nadu, grass. The weeds of these lawns have other Chennai. pp. 29 – 38. grass species that include Brachiaria mutica, Dactyloctenium egyptium and ❖ Narasimhan, D. and R. Pauline, 2010. Eragrostis tenella. Common Trees of Chennai a Photo Identification Guide. Forest Reference Department Government of Tamilnadu. ❖ Livingstone, C. and A.N. Henry, 1994. ❖ Ranjith, J.D. 1998. Weeds and weed Revised Edition: The Flowering Plants management in the Rice-wheat system. of Madras City and its Immediate In: Proc. of the Rice-Wheat Research Neighbourhood. Government Press. Workshop. (Eds.) Hobbs, P.R. and N.P Madras. Rajbhandari. Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC), pp.13 – 22, ❖ Mani,V.S., K.C. Gautham, and T.K. International Maize and Wheat Chakraberty, 1968. Losses in crop Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) and yield due to weed growth, PANS, 42: Rice-Wheat System Research 142 – 158. Consortium, Kathmandu. ❖ Narasimhan, D., W. Arisdason, Sheeba ❖ Sudhakar, P. 1991. Trees of Madras. J Irwin and G. Gnanasekaran, 2009. C.P.R. Environmental Education Invasive Alien Plant Species of Tamil Centre. Chennai.

Banagudi Shola

M. Kumaravelu

It is the well known fact that the hilly higher altitude of the Western Ghats. As Nilgiris, especially the central and western these three types of vegetation have a parts of the Nilgiris, received perfect capacity for water holding, checking soil south-west monsoon rains after nearly erosion and watershed regulations these five years. That of course made the aspects need to be studied in detail. people, particularly the new and young generations, take lessons on the It is needless to mention that this unique climatology of the Nilgiris, a biosphere triple-tier ecosystem is well protected hotspot of the globe. within the reserve forests. Both the government and NGOs are doing their This phenomenon triggered an utmost to reclaim the grasslands and interest among the public as to the swamps where they been lost or eroded. importance of the interlinked triple This is done by taking steps to remove ecosystem of the Nilgiris, namely the the exotic plants like wattle, eucalyptus sholas, grasslands and swamps in the and pine forests. The forest department

18 Eco News, Vol. 19, No. 2 July - September 2013 is planning strategies to reintroduce the committee assists the Forest Department Shola species and native grass species. in removing the exotic plant species such as lantana, wattle and eucalyptus and Apart from the well protected areas, a few Scotch broom. shola grass land and wetland ecosystem are found elsewhere in the Nilgiris. These Ecology of Banagudi Shola particular areas are being protected as Banagudi Shola is spread over 22.5 sacred by the by the local people. These hectares with evergreen plant species are called sacred groves. A sacred grove and encompasses 2 wet lands. The or sacred woods are any grove of trees perennial water resource from this of special religious importance to a area supplies water to more than 500 particular culture. These sacred groves families. Floral wealth is very high; stand as an important reserve of around 27 dominated tree species have biodiversity. In sacred groves, one or more been identified. Around 95 species of plant species or animal species are birds, 14 species of reptiles, 19 species of being protected and worshipped. The mammals have been recorded by the people living nearby these groves do Banagudi watch dog committee. believe that these groves are the abode of the spirits of their ancestors. Cultural and spiritual values In general, the mountains, rivers, Banagudi Shola grasslands and water bodies are being worshiped by the indigenous people. The Toda tribes in particular view the grasslands as a holy place. They depend on it for grazing their buffaloes and they also believe that it is the place where the spirits of their ancestors live.

The Banagudi Shola was identified by the Department of Archaeology as a Pre-historic site. The Hero stone with 5 tier depictions on the orthostatic dolman slabs are located in the middle of this Shola. There are seven dolmans of Banagudi shola, a sacred grove, is located which two dolmans stone slabs were on the eastern slope of the Nilgiris in utilized for erecting Hero stones. The Kotagiri Taluk between an altitude of Kurumba village named Banagudi is 1200m and 1800m. This Banagudi shola located adjacent to this shola path. The is denoted as a sub-montane type of Kurumba tribes worship these Hero forest. A committee has been formed stones as well as the sholas as sacred. comprising of the locals, to assist the They worship the Hero stones as Forest Department in conserving this Pandava Gudi (Pandavar temple) and shola forest as also a Longwood shola Maa linga along with the surrounding near Kotagiri town. The major functions grove. Besides, the Kurumba tribes of this committee are to organize eco- believe that Thoddadeva (Head deity) camps for tourists, students and the lives in the Shola. During December/ local people and to educate them on the January of every year a festival of importance of the shola. In addition, this sowing and during July of every year

19 Eco News, Vol. 19, No. 2 July - September 2013 festival of harvesting is being celebrated tea, resulted in many sacred groves being here. The cereals collected from the forest degraded and thus becoming restricted to and agriculture lands are offered to the a very small patch. The local communities deity. These festivals are being performed and nature lovers are determined to retain near the stone circle (Pre-historic site) the sacred groves because the groves are which is located in the western part of the often as vulnerable to outside political and shola. It is pertinent to note that the economic forces as other forest areas. In Badaga community (Harigiri clan) from most cases the groves are being protected Sakatha village is involved in performing by the local communities because of rituals in which the Kurumba tribes also their religious beliefs rather than for joins. their resources.

Despite tremendous pressure on the Reference forest resources, the sacred groves are 1. Hockigns Paul, 1989. Blue Mountains, being protected in many places defying Oxford University Press, Delhi. the challenges and other biotic pressures. Changing land use patterns have 2. A Complementary contribution to contributed to a degradation of these Global Biodiversity Assessment, precious forests. In many sacred groves United Nations Environment gathering of minor forest produce, Programme, 1999. hunting and cultivation are strictly prohibited. A few plant species are being 3. Kumaravelu M. 2010. Hero Stones in used for medicinal purposes. Due to the sacred groves of the Nilgiris, Eco taboos, codes and customs and the News, vol.16, No.3. involvement of the local people, it is not an exaggeration to say that the Banagudi Acknowledgement is being protected well today. I express my sincere thanks to Mr. Boopathy of Sakatha village for his In the Nilgiris, during the 1960s, the valuable support in studying Banagudi introduction of cash crops, particularly Shola.

ECONEWS welcomes articles and news items from its readers. Please send them to

The Editor C.P.R. Environmental Education Centre 1, Eldams Road, , Chennai – 600 018, India. Phone : 91-44-24337023 / 24346526 Fax : 91-44-24320756 www.cpreec.org / www.cpreecenvis.nic.in Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

20 Eco News, Vol. 19, No. 2 July - September 2013 Geo-engineering U. Thirunavukkarasu

Geo-engineering is the study, design and The Political divide application of human interventions in The climate engineering technologies altering geological surface resources in under the border perspective of geo - mining, excavations, underground engineering technologies proposed are transportations, ground water flow, mostly scientifically unproven and the energy and other infrastructural effects of it on the global climate are not alterations involving surface resources. proved beyond doubt. Many technologies proposed are available in the tracts of Recently zgeo-engineering was highly research or scientific validation. associated with the climate engineering aspect. It includes wide range of The proposed Carbon Dioxide Removal technologies which aims to modify the and Solar Radiation Management are earth’s energy balance and to reduce cross boundary in nature both politically atmospheric temperature in response to and socially. In the context of IPCC growing climate change concerns. projections and climate negotiations going on around the world, there is Conception about Nature already a wide gap in agreement and People in different cultures conceive opinions between developing and nature in different perspectives. The developed countries. Thus, it is unlikely alteration in the natural setting by that climate engineering efforts will human being starts from the very first reach a consensus amongst the various experiment on ‘growing food’ upto ‘altering countries. global climate’. There was a time, where the maximum control over the resources The climate-engineering technologies was in agriculture; later it turns out in to are principally divided into two categories, digging out water, minerals, metals and viz., the Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) altering the course of water bodies. The and Solar Radiation Management (SRM). way that people have imagined about It may range from planting trees to nature has changed dramatically over sequestrating carbon or deflecting solar the years of human existence (Williams radiation by pumping aerosols in the 1972). In the same way, the human upper atmosphere. The technological community has also responded to the complexity, social implication, economic impacts of human-nature interactions resources needed and socio-political over many millennia. In the recent past, approval are deciding factors in the there are many responses to such events development of geo-engineering in created by human beings. reducing the impact of climate change.

21 Eco News, Vol. 19, No. 2 July - September 2013 Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Afforestation The carbon dioxide removal method Afforestation is the well known and operates in the principle of removing accepted way of carbon sequestration atmospheric green house gas -carbon under clean development mechanism. dioxide and storing it. This uptake and This method involves planting and storage may happen by biological, chemical growing of tree saplings on the land or physical means. The CDR methods are which is without tree cover for several many, ranging from afforestration, ocean years/ a decade or more. Afforestation fertilization to weathering of certain has advantages, the carbon storing sedimentary rocks. capacity is more in forest communities and carbon is stored for a longer period Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) and it has other ecological benefits too. The carbon capture and sequestration On the negative side, afforestation too technologies remove carbon directly from has hurdles and concerns; the willingness the anthropogenic sources rather of private land holders, conversion of land removing it from the atmosphere. The use pattern, requirement of food verses afforestation and accidental release of sources followed up are biomass, bio- captured carbon are some of them. energy and fossil fuels in power generation. There are divided opinions Enhance Weathering to exclude fossil fuels from geo- The natural process of weathering of engineering- CCS since they are carbon silicate and carbonate rocks is expedited positive and bio-energy and biomass and carbon removal from the atmosphere are considered as carbon neutral. is achieved. The weathered rocks are Ocean Fertilization stored in the soil and the deep ocean as captured carbon storage. Mining for The ocean fertilization technique uses carbonate and silicate rocks, spreading the biological power of phyto-planktons to out in the landscape, transportation, take in and use atmospheric carbon involvement of other environmental dioxide in the process of photosynthesis, resources like energy and water are thus retaining it in the bio system and to specific concerns which require scientific be deposited on the ocean floors when validation in proving this method as a the phyto-plankton dies. To promote this, probable technique to be used in climate ocean fertilization involves addition of engineering. nutrients such as iron to the ocean surface to promote plaktonic growth. Solar Radiation Management The effects of ocean fertilization on the The solar radiation management method marine ecosystem, long term effect of it involves reduction or diversion of incoming and the acidification of ocean waters are solar radiation by making earth surface or some of the concerns raised by scientists. atmosphere more reflective. Unfortunately, However, developed countries are also this method is not to have any altering eyeing the possibility of using this effect on green house gas emission or technique as way for gaining ‘carbon sequestration of it. Some of the Solar credits’. Radiation Management methods are land

22 Eco News, Vol. 19, No. 2 July - September 2013 based desert reflectors, cloud-based may interfere/destroy protective ozone cloud whitening, stratosphere based layer in the longer run. aerosol injection and space based shields. In short, the interventional effect on solar Enhanced Albedo radiation may have multiple effects on Reflecting the incoming solar radiation is the biosphere and the snowballing thought to reduce the increasing effect of the entire technology is highly temperature. Making the earth surface discouraging. Solar Radiation Management more reflective by making urban may appear attractive since we still landscapes and structural roofs continue to release carbon through many whitened, and enhancing the reflective consumerist human activities. But nature surfaces are some methods by which has its own unique way of answering. the albedo effect is enhanced. Leading a sustainable life style and going Cloud whitening is a process by which the along with nature which was handed down cloud-condensation nuclei such as small by the earlier generations is the sensible particles of sea salt are dispersed to a way to mitigate and reduce the impact of desired level on the clouds by airborne climate change. machines or craft. Reference The incoming solar radiation is reflected 1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ back at the stratosphere level by injecting Geoengineering aerosols such as hydrogen sulfide or sulfur dioxide. 2. Corner, A., et al., Corner, A., K. Parkhill, N. Pidgeon and Naomi E. Vaughan, Space based reflectors were also thought 2013, “Messing with nature? Exploring of as a measure to reflect back incoming public perceptions of geoengineering solar radiation. But the location, material in the UK”, Global Environ. Change. and maintenance are questions to be http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/ answered by further research and j.gloenvcha.2013.06.002 innovation. 3. “Geoengineering: Governance and However, the solar radiation management Technology Policy Kelsi Bracmort technologies in theoretical form appear Specialist in Agricultural Conservation novel but it has many complications. and Natural Resources Policy” Richard Changes in regional climate or season K. Lattanzio Analyst in Environmental may happen due to intervention in solar Policy, January 2, 2013. radiation. It may also have wider ramifications on the ecology of many 4. William, R. 1972, J. Benthall (Ed.) regions- affecting food and the livelihood Ecology : the shaping enquiry, security of people. The dispersed aerosols Longman, London.

23 Eco News, Vol. 19, No. 2 July - September 2013 Significance of Bioindicators R. Sabesh

Introduction monitored for changes that may indicate a problem within their ecosystem. These Bio indicators are living organisms which changes can be chemical, physiological or are sensitive to environmental changes behavioural. Bioindicators are the relevant and respond clearly to such changes. The tool to assess the ecological health. ever increasing human population, Ecological health can be viewed in terms industrialisation, urbanisation and of ecosystems, where the structural and several other human activities have functional characteristics are maintained. resulted in tremendous pressure on the Ecological health can be expanded to natural ecosystems. This in turn has include many aspects of human health and resulted in poor environmental quality of well-being. Each organism within an the region, disappearance of several ecosystem has the ability to report on the native species which played a vital role in health of its environment. Bioindicators the purification of the atmosphere and are used to detect changes in the natural local water bodies. In order to assess the environment, monitor for the presence of state of environment quality in a location, pollution and its effect on the ecosystem we need to develop an “early warning in which the organism lives, monitor the system” has to the environmental progress of environmental clean-up and condition of the particular location. verify substances like drinking water for Some species of plants or animals are the presence of contaminants. used by ecologists, for this purpose, for example, some insects exhibit typical The presence or absence of certain response to the habitat destruction types of plant or other vegetation in an (Shahabuddin, 2003). Such species are ecosystem can provide important called Bio indicator species. Indicator information about the health of the species are sensitive to environmental environment. There are several types of conditions and therefore can give early plant biomonitors, including mosses, warning signals about ecosystem health. lichens, tree bark, tree rings, leaves, Drastic decline in the indicator species bacteria, fungi etc. Masses of piscivorous reflects the state of the environment, marine birds serve as bioindicators of the mainly the signs of air and water pollution, location of school of fishes. The probability soil contamination and climate change or of successful fishing and some other habitat fragmentation. fishes dwelling in deep water can be judged from the plankton composition. Importance of Bioindicators for the Bioindicators are widely used to appraise Environmental quality assessment water purity. The suitability of water for drinking purposes and the efficiency Bioindicators are organisms, such as with which treatment facilities are lichens, butterflies, crustaceans, birds operating can be judged from the etc. which are used to monitor the state composition of the aquatic flora and of the environment. The organisms are fauna. Various methods exist for analysing

24 Eco News, Vol. 19, No. 2 July - September 2013 the degree of pollution of water from the research as bioindicators to determine the indicator organisms. Animals, plants and effect of spaceflight factors on living microorganisms are used in space organisms.

Table-1 Common Bioindicators

S.No. Bioindicator species Indication

1 Presence of lLichens Indicates Nil or Low Air pollution 2 Presence of E. Coli bacteria in Indicates that the water is polluted water bodies with human waste. 3 Aquatic plant - Water hyacinth Presence of heavy metals in the water body 4 Presence of stoneflies Indicates the abundant dissolved oxygen in water. 5 Presence of agal bloom Presence of nitrates and phosphates in the water body 6 Presence of mayfly larva Indicates clean water 7 Presence of mosses Indicates acidic soil 8 Presence of fishes in water body Indicates that the water has sufficient dissolved oxygen

The hardy lichens are useful ecosystem caused by pollution. For bioindicators for air pollution, mainly example, if pollution causes the depletion oxides of nitrogen and sulphur dioxide of important food sources, animal species pollutants since they derive their water dependent upon such food sources will and essential nutrients mainly from the also subsequently get reduced. In atmosphere rather than from the soil. addition to monitoring the size and Comparing with the physical/chemical number of certain species, other monitoring, biomonitoring is less mechanisms of animal indication include expensive in evaluating air pollution. monitoring the concentration of toxins in Lichens can also be used to measure toxic animal tissues or monitoring the rate at elemental pollutants and radioactive which deformities arise in animal metals because they bind these populations. Microorganisms can also be substances in their fungal threads used as indicators of aquatic and where they concentrate them over time. terrestrial ecosystem health. As the Environmental scientists can then microbes are found in large quantities, evaluate this accumulation to determine it is easier to collect samples than other the quality of the ambient air. The organisms. Some microorganisms will composition and total biomass of algal produce new proteins called stress species in aquatic systems serves as an proteins when exposed to contaminants important metric for organic pollution like cadmium and benzene. These stress and nutrient loading such as nitrogen proteins can be used as an early and phosphorus. warning system to detect high levels of pollution. Scientists during the past An increase or decrease in animal traditionally conducted surveys and population indicates the damage to the directly measured physical/chemical

25 Eco News, Vol. 19, No. 2 July - September 2013 parameters of the environment like water ensure that industry leaves the least carbon pollution. However, the bioindicators use footprint on the environment. Bioindicators the biological organisms to assess the also provide a range of techniques to assess cumulative impacts of both chemical the impacts of air pollution due to sulphur pollutants and habitat alterations over a and nitrogen compounds. Bioindicators are period of time. Consequently, the use of also useful in a situation where the bioindicators is basically different from environmental parameters cannot be classical measures of environmental measured by physical or chemical quality and offers numerous advantages. methodologies. They simply complement Bioindicators add a temporal component physical monitoring of atmospheric corresponding to the life span or residence concentrations and deposition and risk time of an organism in a particular system, assessment. thus allowing the integration of current, past or future environmental conditions. References In contrast, many chemical and physical 1. Hasselbach, L., Ver hoef, J.M., For, measurements only characterize J., Neitlich, P., Crecelius, E., conditions at the time of sampling, Berryman, S., Wolk, B. and T. Bohle, increasing the probability of missing 2005. Spatial patterns of cadmium and sporadic pulses of pollutants. lead deposition on and adjacent to National Park Service lands in the Another benefit of the use of bioindicators vicinity of Red Dog Mine, Alaska, is their ability to indicate indirect biotic Science of the Total Environment, 348, effects of pollutants. This is not possible 211–230. in physical or chemical assessments. Dumping phosphorus-rich sewage into a 2. Carignan, V. & M.C. Villard, 2002. lake will adversely impact the ecosystem. Selecting indicator species to monitor Phosphorous commonly limits primary ecological integrity: A review. production in freshwater ecosystems, Environmental Monitoring and therefore we may predict that elevated Assessment, 78, 45–61. phosphorus concentrations will increase the growth and reproduction of some 3. Iwama, G. K., Philip, T. Thomas, Robert species. Chemical measurements, B. Forsyth and M.M. Vijayan, 1998. however, may not accurately reflect a Heat shock protein expression in fish, reduction in species diversity or how the Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, growth and reproduction of other species 8, 35–56. may decline due to competitive exclusion Thus, contaminant levels at higher trophic 4. Miller, S. W. et al. Resistance and levels may be under represented by resilience of macro invertebrates to physical or chemical measurements. irrigation water withdrawals. Freshwater Biology, 52, 2494–2510 Conclusion (2007).

Bioindicators can be a measure and index 5. Rainio, J. &Niemelä, J. Ground beetles of measures or a model that characterizes (Coleoptera: Carabidae) as bio an ecosystem or one of its critical indicators. Biodiversity and components. The Bioindicator information Conservation12, 487–506 (2003).\ helps us to develop strategies that will prevent or lower such environmental effects 6. Shahabuddin. 2003. The Use of Insect and make various human activities more as Forest health Bioindicator.http:// sustainable. The role of bioindicators in www.iptek.net.id/ind/ sustainable development will help us to ?ch=jsti&id=128.Bioindicator2_files

26 Eco News, Vol. 19, No. 2 July - September 2013 Plastics threats to Musi birds – Disease spreads for Hyderabad’s

Kakarla Venkataratnam

Next time when you walk under the trees The birds are consuming things that are in Hyderabad, a piece of rubber or not of any food value and are letting them plastic or bone pieces or some other out as it is, as they cannot digest them. non-degradable item may fall along with a bird dropping. And, you may 60-65 % of bird food is plastic, rubber and wonder how such a non-degradable junk food: my study was confined to the piece had got mixedup with the bird birds in the vicinity of the river Musi in dropping in the air. Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Cool it-don’t be bothered to find out It is found that the birds consume where and how the mixing had taken whatever they find and thus, 60-65% of place. The piece you find is a part of bird what they are eat contains polythene, excreta. rubber bands, bone pieces, pieces of birds’ feathers, wood, rice and other grass Yes, bird dropping has plastic items, particles which is contaminated junk and of no food value also. Over a large part rubber pieces and other non- of Hyderabad city, the atmosphere is biodegradable items as its integral part. highly polluted and the birds cannot I found this particular feature among the discriminate between polluted and good birds in the vicinity of the river Musi. food. As a result, they consume heavy

27 Eco News, Vol. 19, No. 2 July - September 2013 metals like arsenic, lead, mercury and It is estimated that there are nearly other organic materials. This results in 35-40 birds nesting centers. Of the 30-40 their death. A recent study has found that of birds verities crisscrossing in and the green vegetables and rice produced around the Musi river, 15 are egrets. We by irrigation water from the river Musi is can see cattle egrets and white browed not fit for human consumption. The water wagtil. Spot billed duck, Shikra, little is contaminated with garbage, sewage, cormorants ,common pea foul, Blue rock municipal solids and other wastes. The pigeon, white cormorant, white throated birds living in these circumstances munia, black ibis, Indian common peafowl, unknowingly spread a wide range of small green bee eater, Indian roller, diseases to the people of the twin cities of Indian pond heron, white throated Hyderabad and Secunderabad. This has Kingfisher, Red wattled lapwing, spotted caused tremendous concern among the owlet, Tickells, Starlings, blue rock pigeon, common crow, house sparrow, Pariakite, scientists, ornithologists, researchers as common swallow etc birds in and around well as bird lovers also. In this paper, I Hyderabad and near the river Musi. have presented my observations and my research done on the subject. Instead of Rodents …… Generally, food consumed by birds During my morning walks, I found the contains 80 percent rodents, insects, bird droppings containing some add amphibians, reptiles, beetles, etc. The (odd) materials. I grew curious and started remaining will be locally available. Being collecting several samples of such the capital of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad droppings. I collected nearly 200 birds has a population of nearly one core. As a droppings from different parts of the city result, there is large scale air, water and around the river Musi nesting centers in land pollution and contaminated water the areas starting from Vanasthali spreads diseases in the city. The river Harini National Park, Nagole, Marutinagar, Musi flows through the heart of the city Satyanagar, Dilsukhnagar, Salivahana- and carries fully contaminated drainage nagar, Ramanthapur, Uppal and industrial systems containing viruses and so many areas such as Amberpet, Malakpet, wastes like municipal solids, hospital Chaderghat and Afzulgunj. Among the wastes which are illegally thrown in the above samples, only 42 were deemed to river. Other bio-waste like animal & birds fit for analysis. The same were taken for carcasses is also thrown in the river. water analysis at the Ornithology Hence, it is impossible for these Musi Department at the Dr Achrya N.G. Ranga birds to get staple and good food. In the Agricultural University (ANGRAU), absence of proper food, they are forced to Hyderabad and another private laboratory eat whatever is available in the vicinity. along with my own study by using Moreover, the city life involves a lot of beaker and apparatus. The survey began bus, train, air, other vehicular traffic. early January 2013 and lasted till July Industries and other noise pollution also 2013. As chemical analysis is a costly add to the general degradation of the affair, I took only water analysis. environment. Some birds are also colour

28 Eco News, Vol. 19, No. 2 July - September 2013 blind, thus making them unaware of the respiratory diseases like Histo plasmosis, food they are consuming. canid diasis. Yeast, the fatal krip-toe- coc-o-sis called as fungal diseases from Toxins taking their lives dried bird’s droppings, will affect the Due to the toxicological effects of the upper track respiratory system. Alleric river water and the food consumed by the Alveolius like allergy, parakeet dander, birds, their enzyme system gets disrupted avian influenza (H5N1), pneumonia, rabies, and they became prone to various digestive ring worm and tuberculosis may spread diseases. Also, because of the presence due to these birds. Scientists have also of pollutants in the air such as sulphur- stated that the dried dropping of pigeons dioxide and sulphur-monoxide the birds is causing fungal pneumonia, candi diasis, are losing their reproductive capacity. allergies and respiratory diseases. The Their lifespan has also drastically been common crows and starlings and egrets reduced. Thus, the population of birds in are also causing various communicable the Hyderabad area is coming down. One diseases which need to be further can also find the dead bodies of birds and investigated. other animals floating in the river Musi. Food habits of birds

The water analysis of 42 samples has We can divide the birds based on their food shown that there are an estimated 60% habits. These are carnivores, omnivores, to 65% of undigested particles in the bird frigivores, birds of prey, gramnivores, early droppings. These include undigested time carnivores later frigivores, etc plastic, rubber bands, small wooden .Vegetarians eat food grains and fruits only. pieces, plant cuts, bird feathers, small The non-vegetarian birds can be divided into pieces of bone and parts of beetle fully dedicated non vegetarians, and those mandibles. Thus, we can conclude that that are partially non-vegetarians. The the majority of the items consumed by the generally spotted owlet, Emu, eagle, shikra birds consist of non-edible items. Chemical (Accipiter badius) like a lot of non-vegetarian investigations may reveal even more food. They are called birds of prey and they stunning realities. also like a little bit of decayed cattle flesh. If the cattle flesh is not available only then Zoonotic diseases & Threats will they go for hunting of chickens, common Due to the life threatening conditions faced (house) crow, little cormorant and the crow by the birds, the citizens of the twin cities pheasant. The Emu bird even has a chemical also face various health challenges as digestive system that can consume rocks these birds carry so many ornithosis / and get digested. House sparrows in their zoonotic diseases. infant stage, which is up to early 15 days, will take rodents /insects as food. Birds Ornithological experts have concluded which will eat only grains are called that the birds are spreading / carrying gramnivores. Birds that eat only fruit are 60 varieties of zoonotic diseases such called frigiviores. Birds that eat both as bird flu/avianflu, Chicken gunia vegetarian and non-vegetarian food are (Japanese encephalasis-brain fever), called omnivores.

29 Eco News, Vol. 19, No. 2 July - September 2013 Suggested remedies & actions to be taken

❖ Immediate action to control the spread of these diseases

❖ Full scientific investigations are needed

❖ Municipal solid wastes should be cleaned, especially polythene covers, ❖ Bird’s medicines should be mixed rubber bands should not be mixed with with food and kept in all the nest municipal solid waste. centers.

❖ Ban & strictly implement the cultivation ❖ The river Musi should be cleaned up of cattle grass/vegetables /leafy and the previous climatic /environment vegetables within the city limits. conditions should be restored. ❖ Washing of clothes in the river Musi ❖ Bird nest centres should be should also be banned. established where the birds will be provided clean and wholesome food. ❖ Public and other stakeholders This will help to restore the bird should be involved in all the above population. processes.

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32 Eco News, Vol. 19, No. 2 July - September 2013