KOCHI: The Minister for Water Resources, N. K. Premachandran, has called for measures to protect wetlands. The steps should be initiated at the local body level. He also mooted a central framework for conservation of wetlands. The minister was inaugurating a seminar on ‘significance of wetlands in Kerala’s development’ here on Tuesday.
The minister lamented that wetlands were being destroyed or vandalised.
The situation had contributed to climate change. Ground water depletion was causing concern. Kerala had recorded 35 per cent less rain last year.
There was heavy rain during summer season. The Electricity Board was forced to impose power cut and a harsh summer is ahead.
Wetlands help preserve the ecology in several ways. Apart from retaining the water table, they provide succour to flora and fauna. He urged the Union government to consider the local environmental conditions while implementing special schemes such as the Kuttanad package.
Land Use Board Commissioner P. K. Mohanty said protection of wetland would be part of the food security measures. Food security assumed equal importance as that of internal and external security. A digital atlas of Ernakulam district, prepared by the Kerala State Land Use Board, was released by K. Chandran Pillai, MP. K. V. Thomas, MLA, presided over the function.
V. S. Vijayan, chairman of Kerala State Biodiversity Board, C. K. Prakash, president, Block Panchayat Association, Ernakulam district, M. P. Varghese, president, Kerala Grama panchayat Association, Ernakulam district, and S. Edison, R. Sanal Kumar and K. A. Samad, officials of Land Use Board, spoke. P. S. Shyla, president, district panchayat, was also present.
