Call to turn forest on HMT land at Kalamassery into biodiversity park
WRI India experts, representative from the global Cities4Forests initiative and other nature enthusiasts visited the urban forest to explore the different species of vegetation and birds in the area.
KOCHI: Amid cities battling pollution and the rapid decline in green cover, a group under the banner of the Development Action Council for Kerala (DACK) has taken it upon itself to protect acres of urban forest on the HMT company premises at Kalamassery. As part of conserving the green cover in the locality, experts from World Resources Institute India and other nature enthusiasts visited the forest on Monday to explore the different species of vegetation and birds in area.
DACK chairman Mukkapuzha Nandakumar, who is also the former chairman of one of Kalamassery Municipal standing committees, said the aim is to conserve the forest in HMT and nearby wetlands as a biodiversity park. “Of the total 251 acres of land owned by HMT at Kalamassery, around 115 acres were reclaimed by nature in the past 50 years following disuse. The land has now become a sanctuary for over 196 species of birds, both native and migratory,” he said.