COIMBATORE : Reeds were being cut illegally in large quantity from the banks of the Noyyal in the city outskirt. A truck full of reeds cut from there was spotted near Mathavarayapuram in the city.

The cutting will damage ecological balance of the river as reeds help in slowing down the water flow during the floods, according to experts. They are also home to a variety of birds.

This threat comes even before a solution to the issue of sand mining which has affected the river bed.

According to the residents of Mathavarayapuram, cutting of reeds was quite common. Large quantities were being transported in trucks, they added.