Coimbatore:
In an attempt to improve biodiversity, the forest department has introduced fish spawn in an artificial pond constructed in Sirumugai forest range. Officials said introducing fish in the artificial pond was a novel method they have tried this year.
Officials said they expected the fish spawn released in the pond to attract waterbirds to the Sirumugai forest range. “We have got the young ones of fish such as katla, rohu and kannadi kendai from the fisheries department in Bhavani Sagar and have released them in the pond,” said EN Manoharan, the forest range officer of Sirumugai range. They have released around 2,000 fish in the 75m X 70m pond that is around 12ft deep.
The pond was made ready around a month ago and the fish were released on Friday, Manoharan said. Officials said waterbirds used to come to places around Sirumugai forest range. “If the birds find fish in the pond, then they would come to the range regularly,” said Manoharan. It would develop the range’s biodiversity, he added. Also the range will prove to be a safe haven for birds without human disturbances and commotions of waterbodies inside city limits, he said.
Another forest official said this method of trying to lure birds into a forest range has been experimented in other ranges before with varying degrees of success. “But in the recent years the effort in Sirumugai range seems to be the first,” the official said.
The pond is filled with fresh water got through pipes from a river in Kizh Kotagiri, said Manoharan. “We have laid pipes for around 1.5km to bring water to the pond,” he said. The pond also has other benefits, he said. “It would help increase groundwater level and also reduce man-animal conflicts as it would store water longer than a waterhole,” he said. An official added that so far they have seen leopard, elephants and deer visit the artificial pond for drinking.
An official from the forest department said they were looking to construct a similar artificial pond and introduce fish at Boluvampatti in the future.