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.” The visit, at the initiative of Kodikunnil Suresh, MP, is the prelude to the preparation of an MAP by the State government which will be submitted to the MoEF through the proposed State-level Wetland Development Authority which will be constituted shortly. Dr. Kaul said that pollution was a matter of serious concern for both the lakes. Too much of plastic was being dumped into the lakes. Saving the two lakes from getting polluted in this manner did not need any technical help but could be worked out at the local-level. It involved some collective decision and a harmonious path to conserve the lakes. “If the people concerned are not conscious about not dumping plastic waste into the lakes, then what is the point of having an MAP or an authority for the protection of a wetland.” A wetland protection authority was not needed to stop the people from dumping plastic. Funds gone waste He said that because there was no solid MAP for the Ashtamudi Lake the funds provided by the MoEF for the protection and conservation of the lake had largely gone waste. The earlier MAP for the lake was shoddy and there was no technical support to implement it in a scientific manner, Dr. Kaul said. The interaction was organised to generate inputs for the creation of the MAP. Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad activist V.K. Madhusudhanan said that because of a gradient difference brought about in the vicinity of the Sasthamcotta Lake due to illegal sand and clay mining activity, the lake had lost it groundwater recharging source. The lake was now fully dependent on rain for recharging and this had resulted in the lake shrinking at an alarming rate. This year the area received 36 per cent deficient rainfall. It gave rise to fears that the lake could shrink by another 1 metre during the next summer. He suggested that the MAP for the lake should comprise a programme to revive groundwater recharging of the lake. Environment activist Odanavattam Vijayaprakash said that since illegal mining activity was a major cause for the degradation of the Sasthamcotta Lake, steps should be taken to declare the area of the lake as an environmentally fragile zone. The issue of the Kureepuzha garbage treatment plant situated on the banks of the Ashtamudi Lake was also brought to the attention of Dr. Kaul. Environmental activists Babuji and Karunakaran Pillai also provided inputs. Mr. Kodikunnil Suresh, District Collector P.G. Thomas and officials of the departments concerned accompanied Mr. Kaul. Seeks local-level steps to prevent dumping of plastic in lakes Concern over mining activities near Sasthamcotta lake