In the Pink Of Aquatic Health

For those of you who have always been fascinated by enchanting Japanese landscapes dotted with beautiful hues, there&rsquos good news from Kerala. Yes, you read that right. Now, you don&rsquot need to plan a trip to another country to witness majestic colourful landscapes. Over the past few days, the small town of Perambra in Kerala has been catching the eyeballs of travel lovers on social media.

A few days ago, a river in Kerala&rsquos Kozhikode district has turned pink, thanks to millions of forked fanwort flowers that have blossomed in its waters. Located in Avala Pandi village, the river has since then been attracting locals and tourists in droves. The flowers belong to the cabomba furcate family and are locally known as mullan payal.

What&rsquos interesting to note is that the plant is not a native of Kerala and it is being said that the plant could have accidentally entered the river, or locals must have dumped the plant in the river. Some also believe that the plant has blossomed in the river due to the decreased human activity in the surrounding area during the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

Media reports say that the plant could have an adverse effect on the river. Biologists suggest that the plants can drain the river of its natural resources including minerals and oxygen, which in turn, could lead to the death or migration of the rest of the aquatic species in the water body.

Visitors, however, are not concerned about the ecology, and are arriving at the spot in large numbers to take pictures. A few locals have also set up small stalls and are selling eatables and other items to visitors. Some visitors are even plucking the pink flowers from the river, which some biologists believe could be a cause of concern in terms of the local ecology. Scientists are still studying the long-term implications of this unique species.