COIMBATORE: The Madras High Court has directed the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) to stop operating motorised boats at Valankulam Lake and suggested the use of pedal boats instead. The direction was issued considering the ecological significance of the lakes and the presence of a large number of resident and migratory bird species.
A special division bench comprising justices N Sathish Kumar and K Rajasekar observed that despite earlier court orders to forthwith stop the use of motorised boats, petrol-engine boats were still being operated by the corporation.
A report submitted by the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History indicated that, as of now, the Valankulam Lake resembles a homogenised ecosystem filled with water that lacks diverse microhabitats for birds, including native floating vegetation, shallow water areas, tall grasslands, muddy areas and dry mounds.
However, the lake supports increased recreational activities, artificial night-time lighting, large congregations of people on the northern side of the bund, eateries, walking areas and other physical structures, including a sewage treatment plant.
The court observed that the continued use of petrol-engine boats would certainly have a serious adverse impact on aquatic life in the lake.
"In view of the ecological significance of the lake and the presence of a large number of resident and migratory bird species, we direct that the use of motorized boats shall be stopped forthwith. Instead of motorized boats, the CCMC may provide ordinary pedal boats for recreational purposes," the bench observed.
Moreover, the court directed the corporation to ensure the complete removal of water hyacinth from the lake and take necessary steps to prevent its recurrence.
A total of 183 bird species have been recorded at Ukkadam Lake, comprising 126 resident species and 57 migratory species. Of these, eight species are classified as globally threatened, including two vulnerable species — curlew sandpiper and river tern — and six species as near threatened.