Pretty in pink, but Malarikkal’s lilies worry ecologists
The widespread blooming of pink water lilies in Malarikkal, while boosting tourism, is raising alarms among biodiversity experts due to their uncontrolled growth. A study by the Kerala State Biodiversity Board indicates the invasive plant is negatively impacting local ecology, increasing rodent populations, and potentially affecting pollination patterns and greenhouse gas emissions.
Why it matters
This article highlights the delicate balance between economic benefits from natural phenomena and the potential for ecological damage from invasive species, emphasizing the need for environmental monitoring and control measures.
The profuse blooming of pink water lilies in Malarikkal may have brought joy to hundreds of visitors and local tour operators, but not to biodiversity experts.
The three-month-long floral economy, which begins in July and ensures a flurry of activity and generates revenue, is having an adverse impact on the local ecology, ecologists fear.
A two-year-long study carried out for the Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) has revealed that the lily, an aquatic plant, has shown unprecedented and uncontrolled growth, adversely affecting the ecology.
Rameshkumar K.B., senior principal scientist at the Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute, who has been carrying out the study, said the water lily appeared in the region after the 2018 floods and showed prolific growth.
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