Telangana to get 2 biodiversity heritage sites soon
There are about 20 probable sites in TS
Hyderabad: Telangana state will soon be have two biodiversity heritage sites (BHS). One will be in Palampet, near the Ramappa temple in Warangal district, where Telangana’s only naturally-grown canebrakes are found.
Canebrake is the technical term for dense growth of cane. According to a study done by Sateesh Suthari and Vatsavaya S. Raju of the Kakatiya University’s department of botany. the area where canebrakes grow has gone down from more than 11 hectares to just two hectares. Illegal commercial exploitation of canes and burning of the canebrakes to convert the site into paddy fields are the main reasons for the decrease, sources said.
The second BHS is yet to be decided. There are about 20 probable sites in TS. “Demarcating canebrakes as a biodiversity heritage site will give it the much needed protected status. Such cane growth requires a very selective ecosystem and it is not found anywhere else in Telangana,” said a senior TS Biodiversity Board official.
Biodiversity heritage sites are usually associated with areas rich in flora and fauna. But the BHS tag is mainly intended to preserve ecosystems which have aesthetic, cultural or ethnic value.