’Nagabanas’ protection an urgent need

’Nagabanas’ protection an urgent need

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, March 18, 2016 :  Reports indicate, the ’Namma Mane, Namma Mara team’ has taken up another green initiative — this time to create awareness and protect ’Nagabanas’ - the sacred groves which are abodes of snakes, in Udupi district.

This team had earlier launched a project of encouraging people to grow trees.  Addressing media on Mar17,  Thursday, Gururaj Sanil, snake catcher and member of Namma Mane, Namma Mara team, said that there are a large number of Nagabanas in the coastal districts. But due to rampant urbanisation and in the name of development, many Nagabanas were being destroyed. The tree cover around the Nagabanas too was destroyed.

Besides this, the snakes staying in these Nagabanas sometimes came under the earthmoving equipment during land levelling works. Hence, it was necessary to create awareness about the importance of Nagabanas.

The team also wanted to tell people that during development of their places, the owners should try their best to save the Nagabanas. Concreting of Nagabanas should be discouraged.

The team would also be developing a Pancha Shakti Bana in five cents land belonging to a developer, Mohammad Ansar, at Mukkani hamlet in Shivapura village near Hebri in Udupi district. In this Pancha Shakti Bana, 51 different species of saplings would be planted. “We want to grow and protect these 51 different species of trees,” he said.