Bhubaneswar: Illegal prawn farming is threatening the ecosystem of Mangalajodi village and the livelihood of its 150 families.
The prawn mafia has occupied vast tracts of land at the village, located at the northern edge of Chilika in Khurda district.
The village has occupied a special place on the ecotourism map of Odisha with its vast wetlands, considered as the congregation point for a large number of migratory birds.
Tourists and bird lovers from across the globe usually visit Mangalajodi to watch the avian guests. In winter, one can find more than a lakh birds at the village.
According to locals, even now at least 10,000 birds of 25 species have congregated at the wetlands of Mangalajodi. However, illegal prawn farming at the village has posed a big threat to the winged guests, claimed a few locals and environmentalists.
According to the locals, the prawn mafia, including a few from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, has set up fish enclosures on at least 30 acres of government land close to Chilika lake in the village. They also plan to lay a road to the enclosures illegally.
The Mangalajodi Conservation and Tourism Trust has raised the illegal prawn farming issue with the Forest department and Tourism department secretary. The trust has alleged that illegal fish enclosures are likely to affect the congregation of birds at the village and cause massive environmental pollution.
“The illegal prawn farming will certainly take a toll on the ecosystem of Mangalajodi and thereby affect the livelihoods of 150 families who depend upon the tourism sector. The state government should take the issue seriously and take necessary steps in this regard,” president of the trust Madhu Behera said.
PNN
