World Wetlands Day: Preserving wetlands challenging

DODHARA CHANDANI: The World Wetlands Day is being marked today.

The wetlands that are considered fertile land for human life, agricultural productivity and bio-diversity have not been preserved well of late.

In lack of proper conservation efforts, the wetlands are on the verge of collapse. Conservationists opined that the wetlands should be protected well as the habitat of innumerable wildlife and plants.

Assistant Conservation Officer at the Shuklaphanta National Park, Manoj Eir said the wetlands have greater contributions to recharge water which is indispensable for the lives of wildlife, birds and human.

“The lakes and ponds have cultural significance; they are also associated with the human traditions”, he said, “People have been engaging in diverse activities such as fishing for livelihood and offering worships to nature in the lakes and ponds”.

Eir further said the wetland areas were also playing crucial role to increase water recharge in the low basin areas and keep balance the weather condition.

Wetlands are like the human lungs as the lives of the animals rely on water and the existence of the life is not possible without water, the conservation officer noted.

Several challenges have emerged to preserve wetlands lately, he said, adding that the lake located inside the Shuklaphanta National Park are being buried.

“We have been placing campaigns to clean the national park. The lakes are on verge of collapse. The Rani Lake inside the national park is drying up”.

The watercress is covering up the wetlands, he added. The invasive grass found in the wetlands block water flow in the rainy season, which also help check floods, the conservationists said.

As the precious gift of the nature, wetlands have been providing free of cost environmental service and food sources for human life, said science teacher Chetan Bohora.

“It is critically important to preserve wetlands so as to keep balance in the bio-diversity and ecosystem”, he stressed, calling for the local governments to step up efforts for the conservation of wetlands.

RSS