Set up friendly species nursery, environmentalist urges govt

PK Jaiswar

Amritsar, July 18

Expressing concern over the loss of friendly species, including frogs, tadpoles etc., noted environmentalist PS Bhatty has written to Chief Wildlife Warden, Punjab, for setting up a nursery to revive these species. The species help in eliminating pests and insects that are harmful for the crops and plants. However, their habitats have declined due to excessive use of pesticides, insecticides and herbicides during green revolution, Bhatty pointed out.

As rainy season has set in and this is the time when frogs and tadpoles begin to appear, he said.

“Though Green Revolution gave us food but it destroyed a large part of our biodiversity. We do not see any frog or tadpoles this season. I have been to jungles, wetlands, village-ponds and canal sides but nowhere could I see any frogs or tadpoles, turtles or tortoises or any lizards,” he said.

He said these are very useful creatures for us. They eat up mosquitoes and their eggs and many other small harmful creatures from wetlands and ponds etc. Tadpoles are natural filter of water. They clean up dirty water from inland water bodies. Frogs, fishes and tadpoles are released to keep stagnant water clean and have many other uses. Now, it is difficult to revive their population. Turtles and tortoises were in abundance but they too have disappeared. Chameleons and lizards family eat up all types of pests, insects, aphids and caterpillars and save plants and crops.

“It is a very serious matter but no one thinks of biodiversity being destroyed further. Natural balance of life has started shattering,” he said while adding that the experts from Guru Nanak Dev University and Central University have opined to develop a nursery to revive these species. He urged the government to help in starting this nursery.