Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve

Last updated

Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
The gaur bull near waterhole KMTR AJTJ.jpg
Gaur in Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve
India Tamil Nadu relief map.svg
Red pog.svg
India relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Coordinates 8°41′N77°19′E / 8.683°N 77.317°E / 8.683; 77.317 Coordinates: 8°41′N77°19′E / 8.683°N 77.317°E / 8.683; 77.317
Area895 km2 (346 sq mi)
Elevation1800
Established1988
Website kmtr.co.in

Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR) located in the South Western Ghats montane rain forests in Tirunelveli district and Kanyakumari district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is the second-largest protected area in Tamil Nadu. It is part of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve. [1]

Contents

History

The Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve was created in 1988 by combining Kalakad Wildlife Sanctuary (251 km2) and Mundanthurai Wildlife Sanctuary (567 km2), both established in 1962. Notification of 77 km2 of parts of Veerapuli and Kilamalai Reserve Forests in adjacent Kanyakumari district, added to the reserve in April 1996, is pending. A 400 km2 (150 sq mi) core area of this reserve has been proposed as a national park. [2]

The continuation of "Project Tiger" in Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve for fiscal year 2010–2011, at the cost of Rs. 19,433,000, was approved by the National Tiger Conservation Authority on 28 August 2010. [3]

Geography

River Thamirabarani Thamirabarani.jpg
River Thamirabarani

The reserve is located between latitude 8° 25' and 8° 53' N and longitude 77° 10' and 77° 35' E, about 45 km west of Tirunelveli City, and forms the catchment area for 14 rivers and streams. Among these rivers and streams, the Ganga, Tambraparani, Ramanadi, Karayar, Servalar, Manimuthar, Pachayar, Kodaiyar, Gadananathi River, and Kallar form the backbone of the irrigation network and drinking water for the people of Tirunelveli, Turicorin and part of Kanyakumari District. Seven major dams—Karaiyar, Lower Dam, Servalar, Manimuthar, Ramanadi, Gadananathi River and Kodaiyar—owe their existence to these rivers.

The reserve spans a range of 40 to 1,800 m in elevation. Agasthiyamalai (1681 m.) is in the core zone of the reserve. [4]

Conservation

KMTR forms part of the inter-state (Kerala and Tamil Nadu) Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve. [5] This part of Agastya Mala hills in the core of KMTR is considered one of the five centres of biodiversity and endemism in India by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The Western Ghats, Agasthyamalai Sub-Cluster, including all of Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, is under consideration by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for selection as a World Heritage Site. [6]

The Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment has developed and implemented a conservation intervention program in KMTR to decrease local villagers' dependency on the forests for fuel to and build community awareness about the value of biodiversity in the area. [7]

"Agasthya", the KMTR newsletter, includes updates on research projects and staff activities at KMTR. The contents of the first issue included: "A Sanctuary for Cycas circinalis," "Tiger Almost," "Round in Agasthyamalai in Fourteen Days," "Corridors - It is Just Not for the Four Legged Furry Creatures," "Behaviour and Movement of Nilgiri Langur in the Upper Kodayar Range – KMTR," "Canopy News," "Agasthya Village Commons and Backyards to Meet the Biomass Requirements: An Experiment with Panchayat Raj and Women Collectives," "Bi-Lingual Field Guide Test Run," "Snippets from the Field," "Cullenia exarillata: A Keystone Species for Birds?" and "Tea, Tiger and Oranges". [8]

Tigers are also protected in Tamil Nadu at Mudumalai National Park, Indira Gandhi National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, Mukurthi National Park and Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary. [9]

Flora and fauna

Nilgiri langur in Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve Nilgiri Langur,Manjolai.jpg
Nilgiri langur in Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve
Forest in Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve Kottangathatti Kalakad hills April 1983 AJTJ.tif
Forest in Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve
Feral water buffalos in Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve Feral buffaloes AJTJohnsingh.jpg
Feral water buffalos in Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve

KMTR has at least 150 endemic plants, 33 fish, 37 amphibians, 81 reptiles, 273 birds and 77 mammal species. As per the 2018 census, the tiger population is 16 to 18. Other animals in the tiger reserve include leopards, elephants, Nilgiri tahr, Nilgiri langur, wild boar, chithal, sambar deer, leopard cat, jungle cat and 67 other mammal species.[ citation needed ]

Habitat use by the grey junglefowl (Gallus sonneratii) at Mundanthurai plateau, Tamil Nadu, was investigated from December 1987 to March 1988. [10]

Settlements

The Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve has a large number of employees of the Electricity Board and Public Works Department who stay in three colonies and work at Karayar, Upper Dam, Servalar and Upper Kodayar reservoirs within the reserve. Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation has a 33.88 km2 land in the core area of the reserve leased from singampatti zamin valid until 2028. The company has tea and coffee plantations and three factories, and employs about 10,000 workers in the reserve.

There are several small estates and five Kani Tribal habitations, consisting of about 102 families. About 145 hamlets situated within 5 km of the 110 km eastern boundary of the reserve are inhabited by 100,000 people. There are about 50,000 cattle grazing out of these fringe villages, with a small number of cattle owned by the tea estate workers and residents of the electricity board colonies. [11]

On 18 January 2018, the state government passed instructions to the Tirunelveli district collector and the state forest department to notify the entire area that originates at Thamirabharani river as a reserve forest. The state forest department sought the government to convert all tea estate areas leased out to private parties to be brought back under the forest cover. On 12 January 2018, the governor of the state declared new forest boundaries for Kalakad and Mundanthurai that caters water to five southern districts. [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests</span> Ecoregion in India

The South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests is an ecoregion in the Western Ghats of southern India with tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests. This biome covers the Nilgiri Hills between elevation of 250 and 1,000 m in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu states.

Kallidaikurichi or Kalladaikurichi is a town on the right bank of the Thamiraparani river in Ambasamudram Taluk of Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu, a southern state of India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tirunelveli district</span> District of Tamil Nadu in India

Tirunelveli district is one of the 38 districts of Tamil Nadu state in India. It is the largest district in terms of area with Tirunelveli as its headquarters. The district was formed on 1 September 1790 by the British East India Company, and comprised the present Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi, Tenkasi and parts of Virudhunagar and Ramanathapuram district. As of 2011, the undivided district had a population of 3,077,233.

Ambasamudram is the principal town of the Ambasamudram taluk in Tirunelveli district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The entire taluk had a population of 392,226 as of 2001, with 42.5% classified as rural. The town of Ambasamudram had a population 35,645 as of 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalakkad</span> Place in Tamil Nadu, India

Kalakad is a Municipality in Tirunelveli district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Kalakad is one of the 3 Municipalities of Tirunelveli District, and is one of the fastest-growing towns in the district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manimutharu</span> Panchayat town in Tamil Nadu, India

Manimutharu is a panchayat town in Tirunelveli district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Vickramasingapuram or V.K.Puram is a Municipal town in Tirunelveli District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It falls under the Ambasamudram Taluk. As of 2011, the town had a population of 47,241.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manimuthar River (tributary of Thamirabarani)</span> River in Tamil Nadu, India

Manimuthar River originates on the eastern slopes of Western Ghats in Tirunelveli District of the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India. It is a major tributary of the Thamirabarani River.

The Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve is a biosphere reserve in India established in 2001, located in the southernmost end of the Western Ghats and includes 3,500.36 km2 (1,351.50 sq mi) of which 1828 km2 is in Kerala and 1672.36 km2 is in Tamil Nadu. It encompasses the following wildlife sanctuaries: Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary, Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary, Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary, and Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agastya Mala</span> Mountain in southern India

Agastyaarkoodam is one of the peaks in the Western Ghats of Thiruvananthapuram District of Kerala and Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu, India. This peak is a part of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve which lies on the border between the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Tirunelveli district and Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram district. The perennial Thamirabarani River originates from the eastern side of the range and flows into the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. It is 1,868-metres tall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary</span> Wildlife sanctuary in Tamil Nadu, India

The Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary (GSWS), also known as Srivilliputhur Wildlife Sanctuary, was established in 1988 to protect the Near threatened grizzled giant squirrel. Occupying an area of 485.2 km2, it is bordered on the southwest by the Periyar Tiger Reserve and is one of the best preserved forests south of the Palghat Gap.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pothigai</span>

The Pothigai Hills, also known as Agasthiyar Mountain is a 1,866-metre (6,122 ft)-tall peak in the southern part of the Western Ghats of South India. The peak lies in Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu near the border of Kerala.

Papanasam also spelt as Pavanasam is a famous picnic spot in Tirunelveli district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It falls under the Ambasamudram Taluk. It is situated 60 kilometres (37 mi) from Tirunelveli. The site features tourist attractions like Thamirabarani River, Agasthiyar Falls, Siva Temple, and Papanasam dam and hydroelectric power plant.

Agasthyavanam Biological Park is a protected area in the Western Ghats in Kerala State, India. The park is located within Vazhichal Panchiyat and lies between the Neyyar and Peppara Wildlife Sanctuaries which covers an area of about 31 square kilometres (12 sq mi).

Karian Shola National Park is a protected area in the Western Ghats, India, nominated as a national park in 1989. The Western Ghats are a chain of mountains running down the west of India parallel with the coast some 30 to 50 km inland. They are not true mountains, but the edge of a fault that resulted about 150 million years ago as the subcontinent of India split from Gondwanaland. They are older than the Himalayan mountain range and are clothed in ancient forests. They influence the weather in India as they intercept the incoming monsoon storm systems. The greatest rainfall occurs between June and September during the southwest monsoon, with lesser amounts falling in the northeast monsoon between October and November. The Western Ghats are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and are considered to be one of the eight most important "hotspots" of biological diversity in the world.

Singampatti. This palaiyam headed 24 of 72 palaiyams was located in present day Ambasamudram taluk, two miles from the spurs of the Western Ghats, in Tirunelveli district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sigur Plateau</span> Reserve forest in Tamil Nadu, India

Sigur Plateau is a plateau in the north and east of Nilgiri District in the Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu, South India. It covers the 778.8 square kilometres (300.7 sq mi) portion of the Moyar River drainage basin on the northern slopes of the Nilgiri Hills, south of the Moyar River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of Tamil Nadu</span> Overview of and topical guide to Tamil Nadu

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Tamil Nadu:

References

  1. ↑ "Agasthyamala | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization". www.unesco.org. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  2. ↑ ENVIS List of Proposed National Parks in India, 2006
  3. ↑ S.P. Yadav, Deputy Inspector General of Forests (PT) (28 August 2010), "Centrally Sponsored Plan Scheme 'Project Tiger' Administrative Approval for funds release to Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu during 2010-11." (PDF), No. 4-1(32)/2010-PT, New Delhi: National Tiger Conservation Authority, archived from the original (PDF) on 6 January 2011, retrieved 2 February 2011
  4. ↑ Tamil Nadu Forest Dept. Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve Archived 27 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine , 2007
  5. ↑ Samrakshan, PEACE–ELDF, "Lessons Learned from Eco-Development Experiences in India", June 2004, pp 255-275. Archived 28 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ↑ UNESCO, World Heritage sites, Tentative lists, Western Ghats sub cluster, Agasthyamalai. retrieved 20 April 2007 World Heritage sites, Tentative lists
  7. ↑ Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment ATREE Archived 15 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ↑ Ganesh T. (March 2007) "Agasthya" ATREE, Bangalore, retrieved 3 April 2007 "Agasthya" Archived 28 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ↑ Wildlife Institute of India, Species Database, National Wildlife Database, Status and Distribution of Tiger (Panthera tigris).National Wildlife Database.
  10. ↑ Sathyakumar, S. (2006). "Habitat use by Grey Junglefowl Gallus sonneratii Temminck at Mundanthurai Plateau, Tamil Nadu" (PDF). Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 103 (1): 57–61. Archived 6 July 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ↑ Project Tiger, Reserve Guide: Kalakad–Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, retrieved 13 May 2007 Kalakad–Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve Archived 26 July 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ↑ "KMTR to be free without human habitation". deccanchronicle.com/. 19 January 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.