THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Those who love before-after stories must listen to the one about Aduppukoottan Para near Peroorkada in Thiruvananthapuram. Earlier, no one would have thought that the water within these rocky hills, littered with plastic and organic refuse, could be cleaned. Now, a project by Kerala State Biodiversity Board has not only helped reclaim its dignity as a pond, but is about to develop it into a tourist spot.
A month of intensive cleaning, which started in January, has cleared several decades of waste accumulated in the pond. “Next, the Board plans to undertake the setting up of a butterfly garden nearby. Later on, infrastructure for people to sit and relax will be introduced. An artificial waterfall, LED floodlights to enjoy the serene view at night and solar boats are on the cards,” says Kerala State Biodiversity Board Member-Secretary Lala Dhas.
Fish and frog species will be added to the pond to increase its biodiversity. This has several other advantages. Edible indigenous species of fish will open up a means of livelihood for the people living on the hills nearby. This will inspire them to become the guardians of the pond, who will see to it that it is never again polluted.
The Board is trying to strengthen a people’s council which would adopt the project as its own. The council now exists only nominally with the MLA, representatives of local governing bodies and the people living on the hills as its members. Once the Board completes the renovation work, the project will be handed over to the council.
However, there is one hitch in the idea. The families, which reside in the nearby hills, direct their sewage outlets to the pond. Though supportive of the project, they would need an alternative sewage plan. Around 13 houses are built on the rock and the families have no means to dig a cesspit nearby. The people’s representatives in the area are trying their best to get Corporation and Pollution Control Board to devise alternative plans.
The Board meanwhile is going ahead with its cost-effective project. Though Rs 5 lakh was allotted from Biodiversity Fund for the project, the labour and boat hired for cleaning had cost only Rs 2 lakh.
The butterfly garden is estimated to cost Rs 1 lakh. At present, the Board is busy installing boards requesting people not to pollute.