WAYANAD: As the narrow road from a busy market place in the Western Ghats region winds downhill, the landscape on either side changes into slopes of coffee, arecanut or banana plantations, unless interrupted by a small towns such as Meenangadi.
Meenangadi, a grama panchayat in Wayanad district in Kerala, is home to an ambitious vision: the panchayat is said to become carbon neutral by 2020. Carbon neutrality, or having a net zero carbon footprint, refers to achieving zero emissions by balancing a measured amount of carbon released with an equivalent amount sequestered or offset (such as planting trees or by funding ‘carbon projects’).
The mission that was launched last June on World Environment Day has translated into changing lifestyle of the villagers and reforestation of fallow lands. Apart from policy intervention on just paper, this project needed public involvement to set the wheels on motion.
Sacred grove
North of Meenangadi, nestled within vast stretches of plantation crops, is a sacred grove. A dirt road cuts through this scenery and tapers off into a plain. At the epicentre, sits Manikavu temple, a small shrine devouted to a Shiva Linga. Above the Linga is a slanting roof made of corrugated brick, and below, a perennial stream of water.
The stream pierces the temple from behind and pours over the idol. Legends and oral history among villagers say the idol is “swayambu” (formed by its own accord) and Lord Siva formed it there thousands of years ago to protect the Kavu (sacred grove) and the source spring behind the temple.
“There are snakes there, and rarest of rare plants. The stream that lord Siva bathes in originates there. For as long as my immediate ancestors and I can remember, no human being has stepped foot in the Kavu,” says the temple priest.
An area of 1.5 acres stretch behind the forest and broken idols of lord Vinayaka, a nandi and other deities sit on a stone platform. There are trees and plants as far as vision can penetrate, but nobody knows what lies deeper. Fabled stories of cobras attacking intruders have kept the curious away. “We do not want the source of the spring to get polluted,” the priest added.
Intervention to boost biodiversity
Five years ago, the land lying outside the perimetre of the 1.5 acre stretch was barren or perhaps dotted by invasive weeds. “About five decades ago, the trees here were cut and sold by the then owner. The barren land was never replanted,” says Baby Ousef, a member of the Manikavu Samrakshana Samiti (manikavu protection committee).
Unscientific efforts by locals to reforest the area did not see significant success. Wayanad, which is home to several rare and endangered species is also a hotspot for biodiversity degradation because of pollution and human activity. A third of forest cover has already gotten depleted over the last few decades. According to environmentalists from Thanal, a non-profit group, a 2-4.5 degree increase in Western Ghat’s temperature can mean drastic drop in production of paddy, cardamom, coffee and black pepper.
Therefore, five years ago, the locals joined hands with MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF).
While the government and people have been taking active efforts to cut down on plastics, and live a more sustainable lifestyle, what has been exploited in the past had to be replaced.
A detailed analysis of species endemic to Western Ghats was made by researchers and the sacred, rare and endangered ones were picked from the lot to be planted in the land around Manikavu. With a basic fund from a corporate source, five more acres of land was reforested with these hand-picked species. With funding from Kerala State government, 10 more acres were brought into scope. Locals took the initiative to form the Manikavu Samrakshana Samiti, constituted by people from varying reliogions and age groups. “This is not about the temple, this is about protecting our diversity,” said Ousef.
Today, Vatika, Badraksham, Irumbagam, Kurangu Kungumum and many other species of rare plants grow in the grove which boasts of 110 species.
Expensive, but necessary
Protecting biodiversity is a tedious task, that’s not only time consuming, but also expensive. While economic benefits don’t seem to outweigh the input effort, why conserve biodiversity at all? For many, a simple urge to preserve nature would not qualify as a practical response.
One might want to preserve a crop such as paddy or plantains, but the need to protect endangered species needs an explanation different from simple economic output. The benefit of preserving insects for example, is indirect as they help with cross pollination of plants. The soil needs aeration and worms do the periodic job of loosening the soil and their population is kept at modest amounts by birds grazing the field.
“Every species contributes to the equilibrium of the local climate in its own way and until they’re fully removed and it’s too late to reverse, we may not realise their impact or value,” said NM Jithin, a senior researcher of MSSRF.