Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) is gearing up to declare two more sites — Kalasamala in Thrissur and Edayilakkad Kavu in Kasaragod — as biodiversity heritage sites.The board had declared around 57 hectares of mangroves in Ashramam in Kollam as state’s first biodiversity heritage site in 2019.Kalasamala and Edayilakkad Kavu sites have been identified based on rare plants and trees and its rich biodiversity, said KSBB member secretary V Balakrishnan.Kalasamala, which is protected as biodiversity site, has endangered Kulavetti trees (Syzygium travancoricum) which are in the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The area is also a popular eco-tourism site.Similarly, Edayilakkad Kavu is an island on Tejaswini river near Nileshwar and is known for its rich biodiversity with rare and endangered plants, including mangroves. There is a sacred grove spread across six hectares.Balakrishnan said steps were being taken to declare these two locations as heritage sites so that they can be maintained and preserved. “The sites are selected based on richness of biodiversity, traditional knowledge, presence of rare and endangered plants and animals in natural settings,” he added.Under Biological Diversity Act, 2002, there is provision for state govt, in consultation with local self-govt bodies through state biodiversity boards, to identify areas rich in biodiversity, cultural importance and declare them as biodiversity heritage sites.On being declared as state’s heritage site, the locations will be protected and maintained by biodiversity management committee (BMC) of local bodies. The site will be better protected as BMCs will be monitoring them and will receive funds, including from national biodiversity authority, Balakrishnan said.Besides these, state govt had declared about 10 sites as local biodiversity heritage sites in an attempt to preserve local biodiversity in grama panchayats.Majority of sites identified by local BMCs have rare plants, trees that are 200 years old and an overall ecosystem.Some local biodiversity heritage sites include a 200-year-old cashew tree at Pandalam Thekkekara, pannivelichira wetland ecosystem in Mallapuzhassery in Pathanamthitta, two 250-year-old champakam (Golden Champa) at Anjuthengu in Thiruvananthapuram, a 150-year-old nattu maavu (mango tree) in Chirayinkeezhu, a 200-year-old banya and wetland at Mudakkal in Thiruvananthapuram, a 250-year-old nattu maavu with endangered tree lizard at Ayarkunnam on the banks of Meenachal river and many more.One site at Moliyar grama panchayat in Kasaragod has 25 species of fish in the wetland. Most of these are in govt land though KSBB declares private land too as heritage sites if the owners permit, he said.There are several success stories in restoration of habitats, protection of flora and fauna, biodiversity parks and butterfly parks and other activities across the state in last seven years.
