Ecological Damage at MBB College Lake Sparks Urgent Appeals to Protect Migratory Birds

Agartala, Tripura: The renovation and “revitalization” of MBB College Lake under the Agartala Smart City project has triggered serious environmental concerns, with experts warning of irreversible damage to a key wetland habitat along the Central Asian Flyway.

The lake, also known as College Tilla Lake, hosts more than 28 species of migratory birds each year, including the Ruddy Shelduck, Northern Pintail, Common Teal, and Pied Avocet. However, ongoing works including floating bridges, concrete pathways, artificial lighting, and recreational infrastructure have disrupted bird movement, destroyed native vegetation, and threatened a nearby bat zone recognised by the Tripura Forest Department.

Environmental laws and policies, including the National Action Plan for Conservation of Migratory Birds (2018–2023), Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017, and India’s obligations under the Convention on Migratory Species and the Ramsar Convention, appear to have been violated. Artificial lighting, scientists note, can disorient migratory birds, alter their navigation, and increase mortality.

Local resident and environment conservation advocate Subir Debbarma has written to the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change and to Animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi, seeking immediate intervention.

“What is being called ‘revitalization’ is actually hastening the lake’s destruction. If these activities continue, we will lose not only the migratory birds but the entire wetland ecosystem that sustains them. This is not just a local issue — it is our national and international responsibility to protect these habitats,” Debbarma said in his appeal.

He has urged authorities to halt all ecologically harmful construction, conduct an independent ecological impact assessment, and redesign the project in line with biodiversity conservation guidelines.

Seventy-year-old Subir Debbarma is actively associated with the movement to protect MBB College Lake. He has served as the President of the Angling and Aquatic Conservation Society of Tripura, which, in association with the Fisheries Department, leases the lake in Agartala for fishing with a dual focus on angling and conservation. The society leases the lake from May to January, ensuring that migratory birds can arrive and stay undisturbed from February to April. Its activities emphasise sustainable fishing practices alongside efforts to protect the lake’s aquatic ecosystem. The Angling and Aquatic Conservation Society of Tripura has also been a member of the Wildlife Sanctuary, UK, since 1993.

Experts warn that without urgent action, MBB College Lake could face permanent habitat loss, increased eutrophication, and collapse of its delicate wetland ecology erasing a vital stopover for migratory birds that has thrived for generations.