House sparrow conservation in Kottayam gets a fillip

KOTTAYAM,  
The Hindu, March 21, 2015

The house sparrow conservation efforts in the town got a fillip with environmentalists joining hands to spot six areas in the town that could be declared as House Sparrow Conservation Centres. The decision to take an initiative was made at a meeting held near the market in the heart of the town to celebrate World House Sparrow Day here on Friday.

The decision comes in the wake of a drastic fall in the house sparrow population in the town as was found by this year’s house sparrow survey conducted by the Tropical Institute for Ecological Sciences (TIES) a non-governmental organisation working in the area of researches in environmental issues.

According to Punnen Kurian Venkadath, director, TIES, this year’s survey could identify only 240 house sparrows, the lowest ever since the commencement of the annual surveys three years ago. What was more disturbing was the fact that there has been a consistent fall in the sparrow population. The 2012 survey could spot 740 sparrows nesting in 10 identifiable areas in the town, while it came down to 580 last year.

Fall in nesting sites

Meanwhile, the nesting areas too have come down to just six from the 10 in 2012. The drastically changing skyline of the town has also forced the sparrows to shift their dwellings from place to place during this period, Dr. Kurian said. The major nesting places of the house sparrows during the 2012 survey were the old vegetable market, Padinjarekkara lane and rice market areas.

Matter of concern

However, during the past three years they have deserted the rice market, may be an indication of the impact of chemicals used in paddy cultivation or rice processing, he said. With the old vegetable market was demolished, they had to move out of the area.

The colony of house sparrows nesting below the bridge at Nagambadom too had to shift from there on account of the maintenance work taken up in 2013. This year’s survey found that the healthy colonies of the house sparrows were those at the Challiyil Lane in the market, New Municipal Complex and Supplyco Lane in the town.

Colonies have also been identified at the YMCA campus area, Biriyanikkada lane and Pappadakkada lane in the market. According to Dr Kurian, the main reason for the development of healthy colonies in certain pockets was the interest taken by a few individual traders who were avid conservationists.

However, the modern concrete structures that come up in place of the old buildings provide little space for house sparrows to develop their colonies.

Chemicals in foodstuffs

The high incidence of chemicals in food articles and the total disregard for house sparrows, once considered a mark of prosperity of the area, too have contributed to the phenomenon, he said and added that conservation would bring the house sparrows back to the town.

Ipe Mathew, Abraham Samuel, A.P. Thomas and others spoke. Anil Kumar, one of the traders in the market, who is engaged in house sparrow conservation efforts, was honoured on the occasion.