THE PERIYAR Tiger Reserve (PTR) is one of the best maintained sanctuaries in the country. Yet big cats in the sanctuary are in danger, while sambars and wild boars are falling prey to the highly polluted water of the Periyar Lake.Forest dossiers show that 16 sambars,which had consumed the lake water, died of water-borne diseases during the past six months. But sources told the website's newspaper that the polluted water had claimed over 40 sambars and an equal number of boar. Coupled with this, the solid waste in the Kumaly town and surrounding areas endangers their life.
The postmortem examination showed that the deceased animals' guts contained plastic waste and old cloth.The major chunk of the waste generated in Kumaly town,which has no well-developed drainage system, reaches Periyar Lake through the canal running across the town. Kumaly panchayat president M S Vasu said that Kumaly town produced 1500-2000 tonnes of solid waste in a normal day and during the Sabarimala season this shot up to 5000 tonnes.At present, there is no system to scientifically dispose of the waste. It is dumped in a yard near the town. The water supplied in the town and Forest Department quarters is drawn from the point where the waste reaches lake.
Slaughterhouses-all operated illegally-hotels and resorts in the tourism town throw their waste into the lake. Sambars and such animals drink water from this point. When the deer contract water borne diseases, tigers and leopards which prey on them are also affected. So all the wildlife in the sanctuary is prone to the disaster caused by pollution in the lake. Officials suspect that the elephant and the antelope which died of anthrax in the sanctuary a year back may have got the disease from the polluted lake water.
The pollution level has worsened this year because Tamil Nadu which received good rains is not taking water from the Mullaperiyar dam and waste in the lake is accumulating.Though the situation is grave, the Health Department has not initiated any step to combat the pollution due to lack of funds.Since the polluted lake water is supplied untreated in the town and forest quarters, chances are high of an outbreak of disease in the town.
New Indian Express, April19, 2008
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