6 months ago
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Puthalam saltpans successful Kanniyakumari district. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The Forest Department has initiated the process to hole proposals to designate Puthalam and Swamithoppu saltpans arsenic mudflat conservation reserve, a first-of-its-kind inaugural successful Tamil Nadu.
The halfway nonsubjective of the inaugural is to support the saltpans, which service arsenic a cardinal transit constituent for migratory birds on the Central Asian flyway. In caller years, the fig of birds arriving astatine the tract has importantly increased, arsenic the brackishwater saltpans person go affluent feeding crushed for the birds, authoritative sources said.
The saltpans supply perfect stopover and wintering habitats for the migratory birds owed to their shallow coastal situation and minimal disturbance. Saltpans big divers fauna specified arsenic molluscs, worms and brine shrimp, which supply captious nutrient for migratory enactment birds.
Salt accumulation successful these locations stopped much than astir 15 years agone and, since then, the surrounding country has been considered for respective large improvement projects successful the district. A fewer years ago, the aforesaid portion was shortlisted for Kanniyakumari district’s airdrome project, which was yet dropped arsenic the determination was deemed non-viable.
Tamil Nadu Industries Minister T.R.B. Rajaa visited Kanniyakumari successful July 2025 and said the section had identified 2 places successful the territory wherever improvement could beryllium carried retired successful an environmentally delicate manner, with absorption connected eco-tourism without causing immoderate harm to the earthy ecosystem.
Following this, SIPCOT, done its website, invited Expression of Interest (EOI) for mounting up hotels, resorts, amusement parks, and facilities related to eco-tourism, taste and practice tourism successful North Thamaraikulam connected a 35-acre onshore parcel. The onshore lies successful the vicinity of Puthalm-Swamithoppu slatpans.
This determination prompted ornithologist and environmentalists to rise concerns and support the country from immoderate structural developments that could impact the accomplishment of migratory birds during the migratory season.
S. Balachandran, erstwhile lawman manager of Bombay Natural History Society and managing trustee of Migratory Bird Monitoring Trust emphasised the ecological value of the site, noting that the fig of birds arriving astatine the tract was expanding each year.
“Thirty years ago, precise fewer wading birds could beryllium recovered here. At present, the tract has go a preferred determination for birdwatchers owed to respective archetypal sightings and precocious influx of migratory birds,” helium added.
Recalling a notable instance, helium mentioned the sighting of a Common Tern (Sterna hirundo), ringed successful Poland 13 years ago, during its nesting, astatine Puthalam brackish pans portion demonstrating vertebrate ringing a fewer months ago. Such an ecologically important tract indispensable beryllium protected to conserve its earthy habitat.
Avian taxon specified arsenic Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Red Knot, Northern Wheatear, Red-necked Stint, Gull-billed Tern, Ruddy Turnstone, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea) were among the the taxon that had been sighted astatine Puthalam and Swamithoppu saltpans.
Vinod Sadhasivan of Kanniyakumari Natural Foundation said that immoderate structural improvement successful these areas would disturb the earthy habitat. He added that these mudflats service arsenic a large situation for galore vertebrate taxon and indispensable beryllium protected.
An authoritative root from the Forest Department confirmed that mentation for a connection to designate the country arsenic ‘Swamithoppu-Puthalam mudflat conservation reserve’ was nether way. Once approved, the country would beryllium declared arsenic a conservation zone, preventing activities that harm the earthy situation of this ecologically important region.
