Wildlife warden demands biodiversity mapping of Powai lake

Worried over the fate of crocodiles living inside Powai lake, Honorary Wildlife Warden (Mumbai city) Sunish Kunju has written to the forest department as well as BMC asking for a census of the crocodile population living in the lake along with a detailed biodiversity mapping of the lake.

Despite being a man-made lake, Powai lake happens to be the only one located in the middle of the city to have crocodiles living in it. "While the forest department is raising so much awareness about leopards living in Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) and for past few years has been carrying out studies on it along with population estimation, they should also conduct a study on the crocodiles in this lake. The need is also pressing as the numbers of crocodiles being sighted has gone down considerably over a period of years," Kunju said, and added that the crocodiles were not only under threat from poachers who were carrying out rampant illegal poaching of fishes but their natural basking sites too had been destroyed by BMC during the Powai lake's beautification.

Kunju said that since the Powai lake is with BMC, the study should be carried out jointly or BMC should ask the forest department to carry out the study and present the report. "It's alarming that such a beautiful, unique biodiversity hotspot in an urban set up is gradually dying due to neglect. BMC has not been able to stop the sewage entering the lake nor the police or forest department is taking any action to stop illegal poachers who might even be killing crocodiles so that they can keep catching fishes," said Kunju, who is also the Secretary of Plant & Animals Welfare Society (PAWS), Mumbai.

His letter demanded a detailed biodiversity mapping of the lake stating that it was alarming that despite attracting so many migratory birds and being home to diverse biodiversity, neither the forest department nor the BMC had ever carried out a detailed study of the lake. "A complete study will help identify threats and also recommend steps to be taken for protecting its biodiversity," he said.

QUOTE:

It's alarming that such a beautiful, unique biodiversity hotspot in an urban set up is gradually dying due to neglect. BMC has not been able to stop the sewage entering the lake nor the police or forest department is taking any action to stop illegal poachers who might even be killing crocodiles so that they can keep catching fishes.
Sunish Kunju, Honorary Wildlife Warden (Mumbai city)