Cry for Mirik lake protection

RAJEEV RAVIDAS TT, Mirik, April 22: An environment group in Mirik has launched a campaign to demand the inclusion of the tourist town’s wetland that has the famous Mirik lake in a central government project for conservation of water sources.

To begin with, the Bio-diversity Management Committee embarked on a 20-day signature campaign, seeking support of both local people and visitors alike in its effort to protect and preserve the wetland that has shrunk in size.

“The wetland is nature’s gift to us. However, we are running the risk of losing it because of increased human intervention. The total area of the wetland has already been reduced to less than 100 hectares from its original spread of 125 hectares because of pollution caused by effluents and reclamation by landfill. Our appeal to all concerned is to immediately put an end to the exploitation and encroachment of the wetland,” said Gyalbo Lama, a member of the committee.

Lama said the best way of ensuring the survival of the wetland was to include it in the conservation and management programme that the Centre had launched in 2010. “Once our signature campaign gets over at the end of this month, we will approach the GTA, state government and the Union government with our demand,” he said.

Under the programme, the Centre provides financial and technical assistance for various conservation activities in the listed wastelands.

Twenty-five wetlands, including the East Calcutta wetland, have been brought under the programme.

Lama said reclamation of land and dumping of solid waste in and around a wetland were prohibited once a water body was brought under the central scheme.

“We have been distributing leaflets in Nepali titled ‘Protection of Wetland’ that highlights the things that are prohibited in a wetland area covered by the national management programme. Reclamation of land and dumping of solid waste are among things which are barred under the scheme,” he said.