Environmentalists have urged the district administration to take up the cleaning of Ooty Lake, after analysis of samples collected from the water body confirmed the presence of Clostridium bacteria in the water, and also high alkalinity in parts of the lake.
N. Moinudheen, an independent researcher and wildlife biologist, who conducted the analysis said that microbial testing of the lake was undertaken for harmful bacteria that could potentially threaten endemic and migratory bird species that visit the lake every year. “The presence of more than one type of DNA during testing indicates the possibility of multiple species of Clostridia in the water sample. Clostridia can be harmful to the biodiversity of the lake, with the government’s lack of assessment and implementation of water treatment posing a significant risk to both humans and wildlife,” said Mr. Moinudheen.
A pH assessment of the lake’s water also showed that water along the drainage canal flowing into the lake was alkaline, while water along a part of the lake near the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) was also highly alkaline. “The water sample which turned out to have the presence of a strain of Clostridium bacteria was also from this part of the lake, which is where a lot of local as well as migratory birds use as a foraging ground. Certain species of Clostridium bacteria can negatively affect the hatching rates of birds, while the high alkalinity of the water will also render the lake uninhabitable for amphibians and reptiles,” added Mr. Moinudheen.
N. Sadiq Ali, Founder of the Wildlife and Nature Conservation Trust (WNCT), said that signboards should be placed in the periphery of the lake warning tourists against coming into contact with the water at the lake. “Most tourists play in the water without realising that Udhagamandalam’s sewage flows into the lake. Till the lake is cleaned and restored, tourists should be told that the water could be potentially hazardous,” said Mr. Sadiq.
