Berijam Lake
Encyclopedia
Berijam Lake is a reservoir
near Kodaikanal
town in Dindigul district
of Tamil Nadu
, South India
. It is at the old site of "Fort Hamilton", in the upper Palani hills.
The lake, created by a dam with sluice outlets
, is part of a micro–watershed development project. Periyakulam
town, 18.7 kilometres (11.6 mi) to the SE, gets its public drinking water
from the lake. The lake’s water quality is excellent.
. map There were two roads from Berijam, the Kodaikanal–Munnar Road
to Munnar
town, about 40 km (24.9 mi) west and another going to Kavunji
village, 9 km (5.6 mi) north.
The old roads are now overgrown with vegetation and used as walking trails by local villagers and trekkers. Encounters with wild animals including bison
, elephants
and leopards
sometimes occur on these trails.
The Tamil Nadu Forest Department
has restricted entry into the Berijam Lake area to between 9.30 a.m. and 3 p.m. for the general public. Entry permits are issued at the Forestry Department Office in Kodaikanal. Only a limited number of visitors are allowed in the park each day.
There is a forest check–post which prohibits unauthorized entry through the road leading to Berijam Lake.
Beyond km marker 13 on the Berijam road there is an observation tower from where one may have a fine view of Berijam Lake and the surrounding forest.
Berijam has a Forest Department Camp including an Eco-Education Center for visitors. Nature areas to be visited here include: swamp ecosystem, fresh water ecosystem, nature trail, bridge, medicinal demonstration garden, museum, nature walk, grassland and shola.(guide map)
Site visits are organized for authorized researchers. Trekkers can get permission to stay overnight. There is a Forest Rest House with limited accommodations which serves as an overnight base camp for Forestry Department staff, researchers and trekkers.
Visitors must bring their own provisions.
here known as the Berijam swamp. The previous existence there of a large lake, the evidence which was visible nearby, was first recorded in 1864 by Colonel Douglas Hamilton
of the 21st Regiment of the Madras Native Infantry
. No record or even tradition regarding the formation of this ancient lake survives. However, Judging from the traces of its shoreline which still remained in 1906, it must have been nearly 5 mi (8 km) long, up to 3960 ft (1,207 m) wide and up to 70 ft (21.3 m) deep. It was apparently formed by the side of a hill slipping down into a valley which slopes northwards to the Amaravati River
, and damming up the stream which ran at the bottom of it. This stream apparently eventually cut its way through the huge natural embankment so formed, and thus emptied the lake this landslide had once created. The dam was about 600 ft (182.9 m) long and the breach in it was about 300 ft (91.4 m) across and 90 ft (27.4 m) deep.
In 1864, Colonel Hamilton submitted a report stating that the Berijam Lake area was the best site in the Palani Hills for a military cantonment
or Sanatorium
. A military outpost later built here, Fort Hamilton, was named for him.
There was in fact no ' fort' at the place, only a small hut.
Berijam lake was artificially created in 1867, when Sir Vere Levigne, Collector of Madurai
, donated part of his personal retirement for building the dam.
Subsequently, the scheme was enlarged to supply drinking water to the
Periyakulam Municipality and completed in 1912 at a cost of US $138,500.
Berijam has a 100 year old 2–story brick building, partly damaged and blackened over the years, with a bright yellow painted name reading "Britisher's Transit Camp".
This is one of several transit camps built every 15 km (9 mi) for the soldiers to rest along the 230 km (143 mi) British
“Escape Route” from Kodaikanal via Top Station
and Munnar
to Kochi, built during World War II
.
While most of the transit camps are now either dilapidated or demolished, the one at Berijam still stands.
Berijam Lake has been studied palynologically
and it revealed a 20,000 years story deposited in the sediments. Time span between 20,000-17,000 years before present (B.P.) experienced the cold and dry climatic conditions. After this period an oxidizing arid environmental conditions were prevailed for a period of 2500 years. The time span between 14,500–7000 years B.P. has witnessed a climatic amelioration phase leading to warm and humid climate. From about 7,000 years B.P. to present the area is under the cool and humid climate.
Rainfall is the chief source of water into the lake. Average annual rainfall in the hill area is 1500 mm (4.9 ft). The mean day temperature
in the coolest months is below 17 °C (62.6 °F) in the higher areas.
The lake is formed below the Palani hill ranges at the origin of the Varahanadhi (Varaha River) which is used for purposes of water supply and irrigation.
As a part of the World Bank
funded Water Resources Consolidation Project (WRCP) of Tamil Nadu, sedimentation condition was assessed for a large number of reservoirs including Berijam reservoir.
This indicated that the 1.91 cubic hectometre gross storage capacity of the reservoir in 1911 decreased to 1.804 cubic hectometre in 1987.
The percentage reduction of storage due to siltation is 23%, over a period of 76 years.
Berijam Lake had stable land conditions, thus erosion was less and the lake received less sediment but more organic matter in the proportion of (5.5–41.8%).
The rate of sedimentation is indirectly proportional to the influx of organic matter.
Water quality
On the basis of chemical parameters and nutrient
load studies, the Berijam lake has been categorized as oligotroph
ic with a tendency to eutrophication
over time due to plankton
growth in the lake.
This conclusion is supported by oxygen
deficits in the bottom due to the chemocline
condition of the lake.
and fauna
(some are pictured in the gallery) and has a few original eco–initiatives to its credit, namely, South India
's first field–oriented eco-education centre set up by the Forest Department, an exclusive medicinal plants demonstration garden spread over 1 ha (2.5 acre) and a model swamp
observation area created to educate the public. A rare species of free floating insectivorous bladderwort
plant called utricularia australis
is said to be found here.
The catchment of the Berijam Lake in the Palani hills falls under the once extensive shola
grassland ecosystem, also called the “cloud forest”.
These grasslands constitute a complex and highly diverse plant community which in turn supports a wide range of fauna from insects to large mammals.
With the sholas they constitute one of the world’s rarest, most biodiverse and spectacular of landscapes.
Where the grassland has been destroyed by industrial timber plantations, streams and marshes have dried out.
Data on germination
and cultivation of c. 250 shola species and long term biographies of c. 70 shola tree species in the area have been published.
Medicinal flora
Development and cultivation of medicinal plants like Digitalis
, Pyrethrum
, Belladona, Dioscorea sp.
and Mentha
is an active programme launched by the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University
through the 40 hectares (98.8 acre) research centre of the Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants
(CIMAP) near Berijam.
Commercial marketing of high yielding varieties of these plants is now being actively pursued.
Psilocybin mushrooms which produce hallucinogenic effects when consumed, and other poisonous mushrooms grow around Berijam.
Avi Fauna
Mammals
In February 2010, Tigers were sighted in Kodaikanal forests during a six-day carnivore
survey. A tigress and her cub were spotted playing in the wild. Forest Department officials are studying survey data to estimate the local tiger population based on indirect evidence like pug marks, scats and scratches.
Of the two wildlife corridor
s proposed for movement of Indian Elephants in the Palani Hills Reserve Forest, the Berijam corridor connects to Top Station
in Kerala
.
It is also being studied if a link corridor through the Kukkal
area, could be established to the second corridor from Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park through Amaravathy and Kudhiraiyar to the Palar Dam, then up the valley almost to Ganesh Nagar, below Pethuparai village.
Fish
In 1886 there were Carp in the lake.
In 1914 there was a scheme to introduce Trout
into Berijam reservoir.
The catchment basin of the lake, historically dominated by extensive shola grass lands, drains into marshes at the head of the lake. However, most of the catchment area was afforested, during the 1960s, with Eucalyptus
, wattle and pine
. The main Berijam marsh has shrunk, as evidenced in March 2007, by walking across the marsh without getting one’s feet wet. This is attributed to less water discharging into the lake. Shrinking of the lake has also been noticed with the boating dock getting shifted to deeper waters on the opposite side of the creek.
The creek
waters adjoining the marsh have been gradually invaded by marshland vegetation of water lilies
, Torpedo grass
and native sedges with shoots in water and roots at the nodes.
The water lilies were planted there "reportedly" for ornamental purposes by the Forest Department. These marshland invasives are accelerating the siltation process and may eventually result in necessity of raising the height of the dam to compensate for loss of storage due to siltation.
A crisis in the water regime of the Palani plateau has been observed at Berijam Lake. The lake’s marshlands have been reported to dry out after the monsoon
and marsh vegetation is seen encroaching into the deeper part of the lake.
Studies by the Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History
, Coimbatore
, undertaken in 2006 in many areas of the Palani hills including Berijam, indicate that the population of the Grey-breasted Laughingthrush
, a near threatened
endemic
bird species of the Western Ghats
, has been affected by the degradation of its habitat. Remedial measures have been suggested.
Otter
poaching in the Palani hills to the point of extermination has been reported.
The Common Otter and Small-clawed Otter are trapped by Tribals from the Haryana
State of India, who are in Palani hills with the sole aim of collecting Otter oil which is in demand in Northern India.
Mercury pollution was reported in Kodaikanal which affected lakes in the area.
The causes, originating from a thermometer factory nearby, were reported to be dispersal of elemental mercury to the atmosphere from improper storage and dispersal from surface effluents from the factory.
Apart from tests conducted on Kodaikanal lake, moss
samples collected from trees surrounding the Berijam Lake, located 20 km (12.4 mi) from the factory were also tested.
This showed mercury level in the range of 0.2 µg/kg, while in Kodaikanal lake the lichen
and moss levels were 7.9 µg/kg and 8.3 µg/kg, respectively.
Fish samples tested from the Kodaikanal lake also showed Hg level in the range of 120 to 290 mg/kg confirming that pollution of the lake had taken place due to mercury emissions from the factory.
This high degree of mercury pollution resulted in closure of the thermometer factory in 2001.
In 1902, important bauxite
deposits were discovered in the hills north and south of Berijam Lake which The Geological Survey of India
investigated during 1964–65.
Remedial measures
The following measures have been suggested or are under implementation by various agencies.
The Vatakanal Conservation Trust, a non-governmental organization in assosciation with the Tamil Nadu Forest Department has initiated efforts to restore the shola system.
A pilot project was undertaken to protect the Pambar shola, adjacent to Kodaikanal.
Noting the effect on the breeding of the Grey–breasted Laughingthrush, the Sálim Ali
Centre for Ornithology and Natural History has recommended:
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
near Kodaikanal
Kodaikanal
-Climate:Kodaikanal has a monsoon-influenced subtropical highland climate . The temperatures are cool throughout the year due to the high elevation of the city.-Economy:...
town in Dindigul district
Dindigul District
Dindigul District is an administrative region in the south of Tamil Nadu, India. The district was carved out of Madurai District in the year 1985...
of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
. It is at the old site of "Fort Hamilton", in the upper Palani hills.
The lake, created by a dam with sluice outlets
Spillway
A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area, typically being the river that was dammed. In the UK they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy...
, is part of a micro–watershed development project. Periyakulam
Periyakulam
Periyakulam is a town and a Municipality in Theni district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu.-Geography:Periyakulam is located at . It has an average elevation of 282 metres . It is located at the foothills of the Western Ghats bordering the neighbouring state of Kerala. It is one of...
town, 18.7 kilometres (11.6 mi) to the SE, gets its public drinking water
Drinking water
Drinking water or potable water is water pure enough to be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually...
from the lake. The lake’s water quality is excellent.
Access
Berijam is located at the end of Pillar Rocks Road (old SR-18), 21 km (13 mi) southwest of Kodaikanal LakeKodaikanal Lake
Kodaikanal Lake, also known as Kodai Lake is a manmade lake located in the Kodaikanal city in Dindigul district in Tamil Nadu, India. Sir Vere Hentry Levinge, the then Collector of Madurai, was instrumental in creating the lake in 1863, amidst the Kodaikanal town which was developed by the British...
. map There were two roads from Berijam, the Kodaikanal–Munnar Road
Kodaikanal–Munnar Road
The Kodaikanal–Munnar Road was located in Dindigul District and Theni District of Tamil Nadu and Idukki district of Kerala in South India....
to Munnar
Munnar
Munnar is one of the most popular hill station in Kerala and in southern India. Munnar is located on the Western Ghats, situated in the Idukki district....
town, about 40 km (24.9 mi) west and another going to Kavunji
Kavunji
Kavunji is a Panchayat village of terrace farmers at the far western end of the Western Ghats in Kodaikanal block of Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu state, South India, Pincode 624103. It is from Kodaikanal at: . Elevation is...
village, 9 km (5.6 mi) north.
The old roads are now overgrown with vegetation and used as walking trails by local villagers and trekkers. Encounters with wild animals including bison
Gaur
The gaur , also called Indian bison, is a large bovine native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. The species is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986 as the population decline in parts of the species' range is likely to be well over 70% over the last three generations...
, elephants
Indian Elephant
The Indian Elephant is one of three recognized subspecies of the Asian elephant, and native to mainland Asia. Since 1986, Elephas maximus has been listed as endangered by IUCN as the population has declined by at least 50% over the last three generations, estimated to be 60–75 years...
and leopards
Indian leopard
The Indian leopard is a leopard subspecies widely distributed on the Indian subcontinent. It is one of the five big cats found in India, apart from Asiatic lion, Bengal tiger, snow leopard and clouded leopard....
sometimes occur on these trails.
The Tamil Nadu Forest Department
Tamil Nadu Forest Department
The Tamil Nadu Forest Department was established as the Madras Forest Department in 1855 by Dr. Hugh Francis Cleghorn, "the father of scientific forestry in India". The department is responsible for managing all the protected areas and forests plus environmental and wildlife related issues of Tamil...
has restricted entry into the Berijam Lake area to between 9.30 a.m. and 3 p.m. for the general public. Entry permits are issued at the Forestry Department Office in Kodaikanal. Only a limited number of visitors are allowed in the park each day.
There is a forest check–post which prohibits unauthorized entry through the road leading to Berijam Lake.
Beyond km marker 13 on the Berijam road there is an observation tower from where one may have a fine view of Berijam Lake and the surrounding forest.
Berijam has a Forest Department Camp including an Eco-Education Center for visitors. Nature areas to be visited here include: swamp ecosystem, fresh water ecosystem, nature trail, bridge, medicinal demonstration garden, museum, nature walk, grassland and shola.(guide map)
Site visits are organized for authorized researchers. Trekkers can get permission to stay overnight. There is a Forest Rest House with limited accommodations which serves as an overnight base camp for Forestry Department staff, researchers and trekkers.
Visitors must bring their own provisions.
History
There was originally a swampSwamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
here known as the Berijam swamp. The previous existence there of a large lake, the evidence which was visible nearby, was first recorded in 1864 by Colonel Douglas Hamilton
Douglas Hamilton
General Douglas Hamilton was a British Indian Army officer, gazetted to the 21st Regiment of the Madras Native Infantry from 1837 to 1871. He was a well known surveyor of the early British hill stations in South India and a famous sportsman, shikari, big-game hunter and trophy collector. He was an...
of the 21st Regiment of the Madras Native Infantry
Madras Army
The Madras Army was the army of the Presidency of Madras, one of the three presidencies of the British India within the British Empire.The presidency armies, like the presidencies themselves, belonged to the East India Company until the Government of India Act 1858 transferred all three...
. No record or even tradition regarding the formation of this ancient lake survives. However, Judging from the traces of its shoreline which still remained in 1906, it must have been nearly 5 mi (8 km) long, up to 3960 ft (1,207 m) wide and up to 70 ft (21.3 m) deep. It was apparently formed by the side of a hill slipping down into a valley which slopes northwards to the Amaravati River
Amaravati River
The Amaravati River is a tributary of Kaveri River in Coimbatore District, Tamil Nadu state, South India. It is continuation of the Pambar and Chinnar rivers in Kerala.-Route:...
, and damming up the stream which ran at the bottom of it. This stream apparently eventually cut its way through the huge natural embankment so formed, and thus emptied the lake this landslide had once created. The dam was about 600 ft (182.9 m) long and the breach in it was about 300 ft (91.4 m) across and 90 ft (27.4 m) deep.
In 1864, Colonel Hamilton submitted a report stating that the Berijam Lake area was the best site in the Palani Hills for a military cantonment
Cantonment
A cantonment is a temporary or semi-permanent military or police quarters. The word cantonment is derived from the French word canton meaning corner or district, as is the name of the Cantons of Switzerland. In South Asia, the term cantonment also describes permanent military stations...
or Sanatorium
Sanatorium
A sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...
. A military outpost later built here, Fort Hamilton, was named for him.
There was in fact no ' fort' at the place, only a small hut.
Berijam lake was artificially created in 1867, when Sir Vere Levigne, Collector of Madurai
Madurai
Madurai is the third largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the capital city of the Pandyan Kingdom. It is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District and is famous for its temples built by Pandyan and...
, donated part of his personal retirement for building the dam.
Subsequently, the scheme was enlarged to supply drinking water to the
Periyakulam Municipality and completed in 1912 at a cost of US $138,500.
Berijam has a 100 year old 2–story brick building, partly damaged and blackened over the years, with a bright yellow painted name reading "Britisher's Transit Camp".
This is one of several transit camps built every 15 km (9 mi) for the soldiers to rest along the 230 km (143 mi) British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
“Escape Route” from Kodaikanal via Top Station
Top Station
Top Station is tourist destination which falls along the border of the state of Tamil Nadu. The region is part of constituency of bodi Theni district in Tamil Nadu....
and Munnar
Munnar
Munnar is one of the most popular hill station in Kerala and in southern India. Munnar is located on the Western Ghats, situated in the Idukki district....
to Kochi, built during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
While most of the transit camps are now either dilapidated or demolished, the one at Berijam still stands.
Berijam Lake has been studied palynologically
Palynology
Palynology is the science that studies contemporary and fossil palynomorphs, including pollen, spores, orbicules, dinoflagellate cysts, acritarchs, chitinozoans and scolecodonts, together with particulate organic matter and kerogen found in sedimentary rocks and sediments...
and it revealed a 20,000 years story deposited in the sediments. Time span between 20,000-17,000 years before present (B.P.) experienced the cold and dry climatic conditions. After this period an oxidizing arid environmental conditions were prevailed for a period of 2500 years. The time span between 14,500–7000 years B.P. has witnessed a climatic amelioration phase leading to warm and humid climate. From about 7,000 years B.P. to present the area is under the cool and humid climate.
Hydrology
The Upper Palani Hills catchment basin drains into the Lake.Rainfall is the chief source of water into the lake. Average annual rainfall in the hill area is 1500 mm (4.9 ft). The mean day temperature
Temperature
Temperature is a physical property of matter that quantitatively expresses the common notions of hot and cold. Objects of low temperature are cold, while various degrees of higher temperatures are referred to as warm or hot...
in the coolest months is below 17 °C (62.6 °F) in the higher areas.
The lake is formed below the Palani hill ranges at the origin of the Varahanadhi (Varaha River) which is used for purposes of water supply and irrigation.
As a part of the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
funded Water Resources Consolidation Project (WRCP) of Tamil Nadu, sedimentation condition was assessed for a large number of reservoirs including Berijam reservoir.
This indicated that the 1.91 cubic hectometre gross storage capacity of the reservoir in 1911 decreased to 1.804 cubic hectometre in 1987.
The percentage reduction of storage due to siltation is 23%, over a period of 76 years.
Berijam Lake had stable land conditions, thus erosion was less and the lake received less sediment but more organic matter in the proportion of (5.5–41.8%).
The rate of sedimentation is indirectly proportional to the influx of organic matter.
Water quality
On the basis of chemical parameters and nutrient
Nutrient
A nutrient is a chemical that an organism needs to live and grow or a substance used in an organism's metabolism which must be taken in from its environment. They are used to build and repair tissues, regulate body processes and are converted to and used as energy...
load studies, the Berijam lake has been categorized as oligotroph
Oligotroph
An oligotroph is an organism that can live in an environment that offers very low levels of nutrients. They may be contrasted with copiotrophs, which prefer nutritionally rich environments...
ic with a tendency to eutrophication
Eutrophication
Eutrophication or more precisely hypertrophication, is the movement of a body of water′s trophic status in the direction of increasing plant biomass, by the addition of artificial or natural substances, such as nitrates and phosphates, through fertilizers or sewage, to an aquatic system...
over time due to plankton
Plankton
Plankton are any drifting organisms that inhabit the pelagic zone of oceans, seas, or bodies of fresh water. That is, plankton are defined by their ecological niche rather than phylogenetic or taxonomic classification...
growth in the lake.
This conclusion is supported by oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
deficits in the bottom due to the chemocline
Chemocline
A chemocline is a cline caused by a strong, vertical chemistry gradient within a body of water. A chemocline is analogous to a thermocline, the border at which warmer and cooler waters meet in an ocean, sea, lake, or other body of water...
condition of the lake.
Flora
Berijam is rich in floraFlora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
and fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
(some are pictured in the gallery) and has a few original eco–initiatives to its credit, namely, South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
's first field–oriented eco-education centre set up by the Forest Department, an exclusive medicinal plants demonstration garden spread over 1 ha (2.5 acre) and a model swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
observation area created to educate the public. A rare species of free floating insectivorous bladderwort
Bladderwort
Utricularia, commonly and collectively called the bladderworts, is a genus of carnivorous plants consisting of approximately 233 species . They occur in fresh water and wet soil as terrestrial or aquatic species across every continent except Antarctica...
plant called utricularia australis
Utricularia australis
Utricularia australis is a medium sized, perennial species of aquatic bladderwort. This species has a vast geographic range, being found throughout Europe, in tropical and temperate Asia including China and Japan in the east, Central and Southern Africa, Australia and the North Island of New Zealand...
is said to be found here.
The catchment of the Berijam Lake in the Palani hills falls under the once extensive shola
Shola
Sholas are patches of stunted evergreen tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest found in valleys amid rolling grassland in the higher montane regions of South India. These patches of shola forest are found mainly in the valleys and are usually separated from one another by undulating...
grassland ecosystem, also called the “cloud forest”.
These grasslands constitute a complex and highly diverse plant community which in turn supports a wide range of fauna from insects to large mammals.
With the sholas they constitute one of the world’s rarest, most biodiverse and spectacular of landscapes.
Where the grassland has been destroyed by industrial timber plantations, streams and marshes have dried out.
Data on germination
Germination
Germination is the process in which a plant or fungus emerges from a seed or spore, respectively, and begins growth. The most common example of germination is the sprouting of a seedling from a seed of an angiosperm or gymnosperm. However the growth of a sporeling from a spore, for example the...
and cultivation of c. 250 shola species and long term biographies of c. 70 shola tree species in the area have been published.
Medicinal flora
Development and cultivation of medicinal plants like Digitalis
Digitalis
Digitalis is a genus of about 20 species of herbaceous perennials, shrubs, and biennials that are commonly called foxgloves. This genus was traditionally placed in the figwort family Scrophulariaceae, but recent reviews of phylogenetic research have placed it in the much enlarged family...
, Pyrethrum
Pyrethrum
Pyrethrum refers to several Old World plants of the genus Chrysanthemum which are cultivated as ornamentals for their showy flower heads. Pyrethrum is also the name of a natural insecticide made from the dried flower heads of C. cinerariifolium and C...
, Belladona, Dioscorea sp.
Dioscorea
Dioscorea is a genus of over 600 species of flowering plants in the family Dioscoreaceae, native throughout the tropical and warm temperate regions of the world. The vast majority of the species are tropical, with only a few species extending into temperate climates...
and Mentha
Mentha
Mentha is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae . The species are not clearly distinct and estimates of the number of species varies from 13 to 18. Hybridization between some of the species occurs naturally...
is an active programme launched by the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University came into being on June 1, 1971. However, it had its genesis from establishment of an agricultural school at Saidapet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, in 1868 and was later relocated at Marudamalai Road in Coimbatore....
through the 40 hectares (98.8 acre) research centre of the Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants
Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants
Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants is a research institute of CSIR India in Lucknow. It is engaged in the field of science and business of medicinal and aromatic plants. A CIMAP research center in Hyderabad was established from the year 1982....
(CIMAP) near Berijam.
Commercial marketing of high yielding varieties of these plants is now being actively pursued.
Psilocybin mushrooms which produce hallucinogenic effects when consumed, and other poisonous mushrooms grow around Berijam.
Fauna
The Upper Palni Shola forest reserve surrounding Berijam lake has a rich faunal population comprising the following.Avi Fauna
- Resident birds include Crested Serpent EagleCrested Serpent EagleThe Crested Serpent Eagle is a medium-sized bird of prey that is found in forested habitats across tropical Asia. Within its widespread range, there are considerable variations and some authorities prefer to treat several of its subspecies as completely separate species. In the past, several...
s, Pariah Kites, pale-rumped SwallowSwallowThe swallows and martins are a group of passerine birds in the family Hirundinidae which are characterised by their adaptation to aerial feeding...
s and the Edible-nest SwiftletEdible-nest SwiftletThe Edible-nest Swiftlet is a small bird of the swift family which is found in South-east Asia. Its nest is made of solidified saliva and is used to make bird's nest soup.-Description:...
s. - Migratory birds winter birds include the Common RosefinchCommon RosefinchThe Common Rosefinch is the most widespread and common rosefinch of Europe, where it has spread westward from Asia in recent decades: it has even been recorded breeding in England once...
, the Blue ChatIndian Blue RobinThe Indian Blue Robin is a small bird found in South Asia. Formerly considered a thrush, it is now considered one of the Old World flycatchers in the family Muscicapidae. It was earlier also called the Indian Blue Chat. It is migratory, breeding in the forests along the Himalayas in India and...
, several Leaf-warblers and Blyth's Reed-warbler.
Mammals
- Threatened mammals including BisonGaurThe gaur , also called Indian bison, is a large bovine native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. The species is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986 as the population decline in parts of the species' range is likely to be well over 70% over the last three generations...
, Nilgiri LangurNilgiri LangurThe Nilgiri langur is a lutung found in the Nilgiri Hills of the Western Ghats in South India. Its range also includes Kodagu in Karnataka,Kodayar Hills in Tamil Nadu and many other hilly areas in Kerala and Tamil nadu. This primate has glossy black fur on its body and golden brown fur on its head...
, Malabar Giant squirrelIndian Giant SquirrelThe Indian giant squirrel, or Malabar giant squirrel, is a large tree squirrel species genus Ratufa native to India. It is a large-bodied diurnal, arboreal, and herbivorous squirrel found in South Asia.-Description:...
s and Indian ElephantIndian ElephantThe Indian Elephant is one of three recognized subspecies of the Asian elephant, and native to mainland Asia. Since 1986, Elephas maximus has been listed as endangered by IUCN as the population has declined by at least 50% over the last three generations, estimated to be 60–75 years...
s are seen here as well as Indian Crested Porcupines, Wild Boar, Barking DeerIndian MuntjacThe Common Muntjac , also called the Red Muntjac, Indian Muntjac or Barking deer is the most numerous muntjac deer species. It has soft, short, brownish or greyish hair, sometimes with creamy markings. This species is omnivorous, feeding on fruits, shoots, seeds, birds' eggs as well as small...
, Sambar Deer and Mouse Deer.
In February 2010, Tigers were sighted in Kodaikanal forests during a six-day carnivore
Carnivore
A carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of animal tissue, whether through predation or scavenging...
survey. A tigress and her cub were spotted playing in the wild. Forest Department officials are studying survey data to estimate the local tiger population based on indirect evidence like pug marks, scats and scratches.
Of the two wildlife corridor
Wildlife corridor
A wildlife corridor or green corridor is an area of habitat connecting wildlife populations separated by human activities . This allows an exchange of individuals between populations, which may help prevent the negative effects of inbreeding and reduced genetic diversity that often occur within...
s proposed for movement of Indian Elephants in the Palani Hills Reserve Forest, the Berijam corridor connects to Top Station
Top Station
Top Station is tourist destination which falls along the border of the state of Tamil Nadu. The region is part of constituency of bodi Theni district in Tamil Nadu....
in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
.
It is also being studied if a link corridor through the Kukkal
Kukkal
Kukkal is a Panchayat village of terrace farmers at the far western end of the Palani Hills in Kodaikanal block of Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu state, South India. It is from Kodaikanal at: . Elevation is . Kookal is notable for the high biodiversity of the area.-Geography:Kukkal sits at the...
area, could be established to the second corridor from Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park through Amaravathy and Kudhiraiyar to the Palar Dam, then up the valley almost to Ganesh Nagar, below Pethuparai village.
Fish
In 1886 there were Carp in the lake.
In 1914 there was a scheme to introduce Trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
into Berijam reservoir.
Conservation
ThreatsThe catchment basin of the lake, historically dominated by extensive shola grass lands, drains into marshes at the head of the lake. However, most of the catchment area was afforested, during the 1960s, with Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
, wattle and pine
Pinus patula
Patula pine, pino patula, pinus patula is a tree native to the highlands of Mexico. It grows from 24° to 18° North latitude and 1800 to 2700 m above sea level. 30 m tall...
. The main Berijam marsh has shrunk, as evidenced in March 2007, by walking across the marsh without getting one’s feet wet. This is attributed to less water discharging into the lake. Shrinking of the lake has also been noticed with the boating dock getting shifted to deeper waters on the opposite side of the creek.
The creek
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
waters adjoining the marsh have been gradually invaded by marshland vegetation of water lilies
Nymphaeaceae
Nymphaeaceae is a family of flowering plants. Members of this family are commonly called water lilies and live in freshwater areas in temperate and tropical climates around the world. The family contains eight genera. There are about 70 species of water lilies around the world. The genus...
, Torpedo grass
Panicum
Panicum is a large genus of about 450 species of grasses native throughout the tropical regions of the world, with a few species extending into the northern temperate zone...
and native sedges with shoots in water and roots at the nodes.
The water lilies were planted there "reportedly" for ornamental purposes by the Forest Department. These marshland invasives are accelerating the siltation process and may eventually result in necessity of raising the height of the dam to compensate for loss of storage due to siltation.
A crisis in the water regime of the Palani plateau has been observed at Berijam Lake. The lake’s marshlands have been reported to dry out after the monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
and marsh vegetation is seen encroaching into the deeper part of the lake.
Studies by the Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History
Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History
The Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History is a national centre for information, education and research in ornithology and natural history in India. It was inspired by and named in honor of Salim Ali, the leading pioneer of ornithology in India. It is an autonomous organization...
, Coimbatore
Coimbatore
Coimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India"....
, undertaken in 2006 in many areas of the Palani hills including Berijam, indicate that the population of the Grey-breasted Laughingthrush
Grey-breasted Laughingthrush
The Kerala Laughingthrush or Grey-breasted Laughingthrush is a species of bird in the Timaliidae family endemic to the hills of the Western Ghats south of the Palghat Gap in Southern India...
, a near threatened
Near Threatened
Near Threatened is a conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa that may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future, although it does not currently qualify for the threatened status...
endemic
Endemism in birds
An endemic bird area is a region of the world that contains two or more restricted-range species, while a "secondary area" contains one or more restricted-range species. Both terms were devised by Birdlife International....
bird species of the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
, has been affected by the degradation of its habitat. Remedial measures have been suggested.
Otter
Otter
The Otters are twelve species of semi-aquatic mammals which feed on fish and shellfish, and also other invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals....
poaching in the Palani hills to the point of extermination has been reported.
The Common Otter and Small-clawed Otter are trapped by Tribals from the Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
State of India, who are in Palani hills with the sole aim of collecting Otter oil which is in demand in Northern India.
Mercury pollution was reported in Kodaikanal which affected lakes in the area.
The causes, originating from a thermometer factory nearby, were reported to be dispersal of elemental mercury to the atmosphere from improper storage and dispersal from surface effluents from the factory.
Apart from tests conducted on Kodaikanal lake, moss
Moss
Mosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1–10 cm tall, though some species are much larger. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp or shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems...
samples collected from trees surrounding the Berijam Lake, located 20 km (12.4 mi) from the factory were also tested.
This showed mercury level in the range of 0.2 µg/kg, while in Kodaikanal lake the lichen
Lichen
Lichens are composite organisms consisting of a symbiotic organism composed of a fungus with a photosynthetic partner , usually either a green alga or cyanobacterium...
and moss levels were 7.9 µg/kg and 8.3 µg/kg, respectively.
Fish samples tested from the Kodaikanal lake also showed Hg level in the range of 120 to 290 mg/kg confirming that pollution of the lake had taken place due to mercury emissions from the factory.
This high degree of mercury pollution resulted in closure of the thermometer factory in 2001.
In 1902, important bauxite
Bauxite
Bauxite is an aluminium ore and is the main source of aluminium. This form of rock consists mostly of the minerals gibbsite Al3, boehmite γ-AlO, and diaspore α-AlO, in a mixture with the two iron oxides goethite and hematite, the clay mineral kaolinite, and small amounts of anatase TiO2...
deposits were discovered in the hills north and south of Berijam Lake which The Geological Survey of India
Geological Survey of India
Geological Survey of India , established in 1851 is a government organization in India which is an attached office to the Ministry of Mines of Union Government of India for conducting geological surveys and studies. It is one of the oldest of such organizations in the world and the second oldest...
investigated during 1964–65.
Remedial measures
The following measures have been suggested or are under implementation by various agencies.
- Plastics, smoking and consuming alcholol are prohibited at the lake area.
- Promote Shola grass land afforestation in the catchment area of the lake, particularly towards MannavanurMannavanurMannavanur , is a farming village of 1437 households in Mannavanor Panchayat, Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu, India, west from Kodaikanal It is by road from Kumbur village and from Kilanavayal village. Altitude is...
where its absence is noticed. This remedial measure could be ecologically and biologically beneficial to restore the lake’s water source. - Grassland rehabilitation could be achieved, with NGO and community participation.
The Vatakanal Conservation Trust, a non-governmental organization in assosciation with the Tamil Nadu Forest Department has initiated efforts to restore the shola system.
A pilot project was undertaken to protect the Pambar shola, adjacent to Kodaikanal.
- Kurinji saplings associated with Shola grasslands and other native grasslands species have been successfully nurtured.
- Excellent flowering of Krunji flowers on the cliffs near Berijam Lake have been noted during the August and September season.
Noting the effect on the breeding of the Grey–breasted Laughingthrush, the Sálim Ali
Salim Ali
Sálim Moizuddin Abdul Ali was an Indian ornithologist and naturalist. Known as the "birdman of India", Salim Ali was among the first Indians to conduct systematic bird surveys across India and his bird books helped develop ornithology...
Centre for Ornithology and Natural History has recommended:
- Expansion of plantations and restoration of grasslands and shola forests in the Palani hills should be halted
- The larger shola forests of Kukkal and Mathikettan (Berijam) to be declared as bird sanctuaries with better protection for the proposed Palani Hills Wildlife Sanctuary and National ParkPalani Hills Wildlife Sanctuary and National ParkThe Palani Hills Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park is a proposed Protected area in Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu State South India. The Park will be an upgrade and expansion of the 736.87 km² Palani Wildlife Sanctuary which was to be established in 2008. The park includes about 36% of...
. - Set up a GIS database with thematic details, including information on flora and fauna, to help monitor the globally Near threatenedNear ThreatenedNear Threatened is a conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa that may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future, although it does not currently qualify for the threatened status...
species. - Initiate a nature education programme to highlight importance of natural vegetation in Habitat conservationHabitat conservationHabitat conservation is a land management practice that seeks to conserve, protect and restore, habitat areas for wild plants and animals, especially conservation reliant species, and prevent their extinction, fragmentation or reduction in range...
of biodiversityBiodiversityBiodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
and watershed management of Palani Hills.