Lake beautification is the new trend in town. Recent developments like GHMC – Raheja Group’s partnership to beautify Durgam Cheruvu confirms the inclination of investors towards lake enhancement. All well-intentioned moves by stakeholders like government and private parties. But the question is whether the beautification of the lake alone contributes to the well-being of the people. Welfare issues are essential for the current generation, as well as for posterity and, more importantly, for the city’s working class.
When sleep becomes premium!
In today’s time-bound city life, sleeping time is paramount; after all, who is not interested in a sweet dream. Well, I meant that deep cushions are not a guarantee for adequate rest, but a mosquito-free sleeping environment can help us get out of sleep deprivation. Swarms of mosquitoes invade our homes at night. You close all the doors to avoid mosquitoes, and resort to anti-mosquito coils that kill mosquitoes at the same time that they cause respiratory diseases. Don’t you feel suffocated?
The threat of ecological imbalance
According to a research study in the BMC publication, dengue, malaria, chikungunya, and other vector-borne diseases are continually on the rise. The State Department of Health is on red alert to combat viral diseases transmitted by mosquitoes. The reason for this is the breeding of mosquitoes in stagnant water. Now the question is why do mosquitoes breed in stagnant puddles? The answer lies in the ecological imbalance.
has. The biological food chain interrupted
Fauna refers to the living creatures in and around the lake. Fish and frogs help maintain the environmental balance. Birds ate fish and snakes ate frogs. Frogs also feed on mosquito larvae. We also had turtles that also lived in the lake. They feasted on protein by eating small insects, snails, worms, and even dead marine animals and fish.
has. Decreasing fish: Fish give life to lakes. In the lakes there are two types of fish: the white fish and the black fish. They used to be abundant, now they are less and less due to the decrease in the number of lakes or lake shores that are being converted for human habitation.
The fish used to hunt mosquito larvae. When the lakes died out or the fish dwindled, mosquito larvae began to multiply in stagnant water wherever possible, wreaking havoc in the form of increased vector-borne or mosquito-borne diseases. Compounding the problem is increasing immunity to antibiotics by the human immune system.
b. Disappearing Frogs: The frogs vanish; hunted by gangs during the seventies and eighties that capture and export them. Frogs are an essential part of the food chain. The snake eats the frog and the frog eats the grasshopper, grasshoppers eat grass. This food chain is being destroyed now. Although the government banned the export of frogs in 2014 by which time the damage was done. Second, the frogs are used for physiology studies in thousands of schools and colleges across the country. As a result, the frogs became depopulated increasing the agony of humans in the form of overpopulated mosquitoes.
Years ago, people had fewer problems with mosquito bites, since frogs and other living things in the lakes ate the excess mosquito larvae. Now that we have run out of fish, turtles, and frogs on the lake shore, our health problems are increasing in the form of swine flu, dengue fever, and other mosquito-borne diseases.
vs Aqua Life Destruction
The very purpose of water bodies is not only to provide drinking water, but to support natural aquatic life and encourage animals to live in them. The rapid urbanization, the improvement of the standard of living, makes us forget our base: the preservation of the aquatic life that sustains our very existence.
d. Climate change: We all want water security to maintain the level of groundwater. It is an accepted fact that the lakes in Hyderabad reduce the intensity of heat and we feel that the city is more refreshing compared to other regions of Telangana. This means that we mainly need ponds. Second, we need the policy to promote aquatic life that supports universal well-being in the city. For example, when fish is available, migratory birds will come to feed on the fish and the fish will in turn eat mosquito larvae restoring the wildlife ecosystem.
Can we avoid this Social Responsibility?
Let me get to the fact. We are ignoring our bodies of water. In the course of urbanization, some lakes disappeared, became parks, turned into residential colonies, slums, etc. Fifty years ago, you could find them in and around Hyderabad in the bodies of water. During those days, the Zoological Survey of India used to study the quality of aquatic life in water bodies. Unfortunately today, surveys are not being conducted as the focus shifts to wetlands. Let me tell you that the swamp land is also important. But we must focus on primary sources such as lakes and tanks. The funds are allocated to extravagant ideas such as a study on wetlands, ecological projects, which do little to preserve the quality of aquatic life.
Many foundations are involved in conservation efforts. But his emphasis is on wetlands. The protection of wetlands is at the top of their agenda, since their preservation is also necessary for the preservation of water bodies. Previously little attention was paid to wetlands. For example, the Tank Bund, the areas surrounding the lake are swampy and used to raise grass for cattle and other purposes. But what finally happened these lands were occupied. Common people built houses on dry lakes, on the other hand, real estate agents built flats there. The invasion led to the protection of wetlands. But in the process the government, the foundations turned a blind eye to pay attention to the destruction of the aquatic space.
has. Yes, we need to balance the wildlife ecosystem
Are the lakes intended for display purposes? Today the lakes are dressed up for entertainment purposes, not to develop fauna or create welfare for the public. Take the example of Durgam Cheruvu, a beautification move from GHMC in association with Raheja Group. Now the problem is that we have a beautified lake teeming with mosquitoes that pose more risks to the public’s health.
against interested parties
There are ways to create a wildlife ecosystem by networking various sectors such as government, business, educational institutions, health institutions, the general public, and the like. Ideal for interconnecting bodies:
1. The government
2. Companies that engage in CSR activities
3. Department of Fisheries
4. Pollution control board
5. Zoological Survey of India
6. Board of Aqueducts and Sewers of the Metro
7. GHMC
8. Educational institutions
9. Healthcare organizations
10. NGOs
11. Students
12. Executives
13. The general public who aspires to well-being (control dengue, prevent mosquitoes)
14. Our children who want to have a healthy environment at home
b. The bottom line: When the public-private partnership does not care about the colossal investment in the beautification of the city, there should also be a provision to raise awareness of how to avoid pollution of the lake and simultaneous steps to promote an ecosystem such as fish farming, farming of frogs, the creation of fauna, etc. it helped the society achieve health care goals, get rid of dengue, etc.
The expanded scope of the wildlife ecosystem
If there had been an investment in the lake’s wildlife ecosystem, there would have been opportunities for a career in fields such as ecological research, fish farming, frog farming, inviting state investment that would create jobs for many. This includes researchers, common people, along with Swachh Bharat under the State and the center. There are also internship possibilities for environmental visionaries, wildlife lovers or wellness seekers. Such activities can help create wealth by creating commitments in the formal and informal sectors in projects worth millions of rupees that require massive labour.