Agasthyamalai Ecological Landscape and Supreme Court Directive
#GS-3 #Environment #Biodiversity #Wildlife #Sustainable Development #Current Events #National #Gujarat
Why in News
- The Supreme Court of India delivered an important environmental verdict regarding illegal land takeovers.
- The court ordered a strict and time-bound eviction plan to remove massive illegal encroachments across the Agasthyamalai ecological landscape.
About Agasthyamalai Ecological Landscape
- The Agasthyamalai ecological landscape is a very delicate and globally recognized forest region centered around the Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve (ABR).
- The Government of India set up this reserve in 2001 to protect its rich natural resources.
- This region joined UNESCO's famous World Network of Biosphere Reserves in March 2016 because of its unique plant life and tribal history.
Location and Extent
- The entire region covers a massive area of 3,500.36 square kilometers at the southern tip of the Western Ghats.
- The Kerala portion covers 1,828 square kilometers across Pathanamthitta, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram districts.
- The Tamil Nadu portion spans 1,672.36 square kilometers across Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Theni, and Kanyakumari districts.
Key Geological and Physical Features
- The towering Agasthyamala peak reaches an altitude of 1,868 meters above sea level inside the Neyyar Sanctuary.
- The area features varied forest types like tropical wet evergreen, moist deciduous, montane rain forests, and Sholas high-altitude grasslands.
- The mountains act as a vital water source, feeding rivers like the Tambraparni and Karamana rivers that provide drinking water and irrigation.
Significance
- The region contains over 2,000 medicinal plant species that are very useful for medical research.
- It protects threatened wildlife such as the Bengal tiger, Asian elephant, and Nilgiri tahr.
- The area is the native home of the Kanikaran (Kanikkar) indigenous tribe who hold deep knowledge about local plants and forests.