4 days ago
Waste littering, tourism threaten ecosystem in Vagamon Hills
Kochi: At a time when the state is witnessing rising man-animal conflicts, a recent study sheds light on how human-induced activities, waste littering and unregulated tourism thwart the natural ecosystem in high ranges.
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The study by botany department of SH College, Thevara, shows that rapid expansion of roads, resorts, homestays and other unregulated infrastructure leads to severe ecosystem fragmentation. It disrupts plant communities and significantly hinders natural regeneration processes in the Vagamon Hills region, one of the most sought-after tourism destinations in the state.
Raising further concerns, the study noted that waste littering, forest fires, and the growth of invasive plant species also pose significant threats to indigenous, including endemic, plant species in the region, which has unique climatic and ecological conditions.
The study identified that the region is rich in floristic diversity. It recorded the presence of 137 angiosperm species (plants having seeds in a closed ovary) in the study area in the Vagamon Hills.
Species like Ficus beddomei and Anaphalis wightiana, which fall under International Union for Conservation of Nature's threatened category, grow in the Vagamon Hills, calling for the urgent need to bring in restrictions on uncontrolled activities there.
"One of the most pressing threats identified is the widespread destruction of natural habitats due to the construction of unauthorized buildings and roads. They include rapid expansion of resorts, homestays and other unregulated infrastructure, often in ecologically fragile zones. Construction activities alter essential ecological parameters such as soil composition, moisture retention capacity and light availability, all of which are crucial for plant growth and reproduction.
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The intrusion into forested areas not only disrupts floral distribution patterns but also significantly reduces the survival potential of endemic and rare plant species, potentially causing irreversible biodiversity loss," says the study.
SH College botany department assistant professor Ebin P J says it is high time the govt intervened, introduced restrictions and declared the region a sanctuary to protect the biodiversity from further destruction.
"I have been visiting the Vagamon Hills since 2014. Many of the plant species, like kannanthali (Exacum bicolor), which I noticed there, have disappeared now. It is pathetic to see the littering of waste by visitors. It shows the govt's utter management failure. An ecosystem's significance is the number of species present there. But the area has no conservation status despite its richness. Currently, there is no restriction on any activities in the Vagamon Hills region, which is spread over the boundaries of Idukki and Kottayam.
There should be a restriction on human-induced activities there. It can be done by declaring the Vagamon Hills as either a national park or a sanctuary," Ebin says.
