A lake in Chennai’s Pallikaranai wetland region, which was formerly marshland, has turned pink, raising worries among environmentalists and locals.
Many years ago, a part of the marshes was turned into a waste dump. All of the garbage, including bio, medical, and chemical waste, was deposited on the same piece of ground, resulting in methane generation and a recent large-scale fire in the dump yard.
According to environmentalists, this might be due to an algal bloom. They believe the colour has altered due to the proliferation of Cyanobacteria in the lake.
The hue of the lake has transformed to a vivid pink hue in the footage shot by the drone.
Officials from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and researchers from IIT Madras collected samples out from lake and suspect that breakdown caused by a lack of oxygen and methane seepage may have produced an ideal home for Cyanobacteria.
While waiting for the full results, authorities speculated that the pink colour may be due to the red phycoerythrin.
Phycoerythrin is a red protein-pigment found in red algae that is unfamiliar to the uninitiated. It absorbs and gathers energy from blue light while reflecting red, giving algae with it a competitive edge in deeper water. This was the second time it had happened this year, according to officials.
Folks in Pallikaranai’s surrounding regions are concerned since Cyanobacteria are known to emit toxins that might damage people.
Image credits: flickr
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