Bengaluru: The govt will declare the state’s fragmented Myristica swamps as biodiversity heritage sites within four months, said Karnataka State Western Ghats Conservation Task Force chairman Mohammed Tabrez Alam Shariff.He was speaking at a national conference on the Western Ghats organised by Eco Watch Monday. Explaining that the move aims to safeguard this rare ecosystem, Tabrez said designating the swamps under the provisions of the Biodiversity Act would help maintain river streams and ensure water supply to forests throughout the year.“We want to declare it in these parameters because Myristica swamps are the ones which feed the river streams and the forest with water throughout the year. We have initiated a letter to the Biodiversity Board stating the same, and they have replied, requesting that we provide a report on this matter. We are currently in the process of preparing the report,” he told TOI on the sidelines of the event.Renowned environmentalist Suresh Heblikar said there was always a lack of awareness about Myristica swamps. “A lot of people do not know about Myristica swamps. It is something very special to the Western Ghats. Biodiversity is not only the interdependence of animal life on each other; it is actually the creation of nutrients in the soil, which creates micro life and is most crucial for creating an environment,” he said.Ecologist Subhashchandran, while welcoming the decision, called for mapping the swamps across the state as an initial task. “There should be systematic mapping of the swamps using GIS (geographic information system) and remote sensor mapping”, he said.However, Tabrez said that declaring them as biodiversity heritage sites should be an immediate priority. “These swamps are in patches, some big, some small. Near Jog Falls, you will find smaller Myristica swamps, which are closer to the forest boundary. They have been largely cleared and bulldozed by private parties who are establishing plantations and coconut farms. We should not waste time in mapping them. Otherwise, we will start losing everything”, he said.———BOX:Wealth of Western Ghats-Myristica swamps are freshwater swamps indigenous to the Western Ghats-Commonly found along Kerala and Karnataka-Derive their name from the dominance of evergreen trees of the Myristica family-Kerala has large swamps concentrated in certain areas-In Karnataka, these are fragmented across Uttara Kannada district and around Jog Falls
