Aralam: The Green Cover of North Malabar

     

      To an average malayali, Aralam is a land of controversies. The political controversies related to the tribal land issues made this beautiful place a controversial one, and now this issue takes the form of an epic protest as 'Nilpu Samaram' by some tribal organizations But aralam has another face of beauty and fragility, to a crazy jungle traveller, this is a land of promise. A biodiversity hot spot in western ghat . With an area 55 km2 this is the northernmost wildlife sanctuary of Kerala.

The forest distribution of aralam consists of Evergreen and Dry deciduous forests and the highest peak here is Katti betta.

 

    Aralam is famous for its birds and butterfly diversity, it is a butterfly and birdwatcher's delight, the birds like Malabar pied hornbill,Grey hornbill,Paradise flycatcher,Malabar trogon variety species of thrushes, flycatchers are a common sighting here.

                          The rare butterfly species like Papilio helenus, Papilio budha, Idea malabarica, Melanitis phedima, Mycalesis anaxias, Cyrestis thyodamas, Kallima were sighted here during the annual butterfly surveys.
 
        Aralam has a very good habitat of slender loris,  which IUCN Categorised as endangered

Every forests has its own river, they wet them ,fertilise them and hosting a variety of its species, the entire forest has a a deep bond with the river flowing through them. Aralam too has its own river, Cheenkannippuzha is the fertilizer and the guardian of aralam forest, a hanging bridge over the cheenkannippuzha connecting aralam with valayamchal area and thus to the more urbanised area of iritty and kannur.

A trek valayachal to ambalappara and bath in cheenkannippuzha will be a rejuvenating expereience to the traveller

Best Season: October - May

Emergency Details:
Wildlife Warden Valayanchal
Phone: 0490 2413160

For more information about KANNUR: [*00012960click here*]

Transport Terminals: Nearest City: Peravoor

Location: 35 km from Thalasserry and 60 km from Kannur town
One can reach the Aralam sanctuary by road from Thalasseri (45 kms) and Kannur (45kms).

How to Reach: Nearest Railway Station: Thalasserry, about 35 km
Nearest Airport: Karipur International Airport, Kozhikode about 71 km from Thalasserry town

A Photographic Expedition in the Banks of a River....

             Rivers played an important role in the entire history of the world civilization. The Historians considered rivers and its banks as the cradle of civilizations.In its fertile soil, the human civilization took their first step and then make a big leap in to the new age of civilization.River Sindhu watered Harappa, Nile leads Egypt to prosperity and Yangtze fertilized China.Without the intervention of such rivers, the world might not be like this. From the banks of rivers the human race even dare to dreamt of moon and Mars.

     Bharathappuzha,the second largest river in Kerala, known in the variant names  of Nila in the Western area of Palakkad district and Kankappuzha at Kumbidi,the Western most end of Palakkad district.Kankappuzha formed Kumbidi as Sindhu formed Harappa,Nile Egypt and  Yangtze China.In its basin the river watered and cultured the civilization of the area. In its banks the epics and sagas of 'Parayipetta Panthirukulam' and Mamankam has been flourished and nourished, the river fed up its entire dependents, it may be humans,animals,insects,birds irrespective of the race,cast and species.
      

       That was an early holiday morning,I packed up my camera bag and went straight to Kankappuzha,I just want to get rid of the boredom of not having any photographic trip for some days.My plan was just to have some random shots to ensure that my cam and lens works well,actually an exercise to my gadgets which kept unused for a long time. That was the beginning of an infatuation, the river in the morning was such a beauty and that was a feast to my camera,and of course you will be a bit confused to choose frames.Then it became a routine of my holiday mornings of the past one year and still continuing with the same passion,a love affair with the beauty,the Nila and then an a photographic expedition to her shore... the two like minded guys joined...Nisanth and Abhiash...

In spite of all the beautiful scenes...some dark matters too...the damages caused by us...the human beings..Here the visuals through my lens...and of course through my heart too...

Winged beauties of Nila 

         Most of my visits were at morning times between 7-10 am, that was the ideal time for bird watching because the birds will be more active with their morning routines.I had identified 44 species of birds including some wild birds like Oriental Honey Buzzard,Chestnut headed Bee Eater,Golden fronted Leaf bird etc.., among them 37 were photographed, some elusive birds gave me only a glimpse and flew away.

1.Small Green Bee Eater

Scientific name: Merops orientalis

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Merops

2. Chestnut Headed Bee Eater

                             

Scientific name: Merops leschenaulti

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Merops

3.Blue Tailed Bee Eater

Scientific name: Merops philippinus

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Merops

4.Common Myna  

Scientific name: Acridotheres tristis

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Acridotheres

5.Ashy Prinia

Scientific name: Prinia socialis
Rank: Species

Higher classification: Prinia

6. Munia

Scientific name: Lonchura

Rank: Genus

Higher classification: Estrildid finch

Film music credits: Jailhouse Rock

Lower classifications: Streak-headed Mannikin, Mor

7.Rufous Backed Shrike

Scientific name: Lanius schach

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Lanius

8.Brahminy Kite

Scientific name: Haliastur indus

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Haliastur

9.Black Rumped Flameback Woodpecker

10.Spotted Dove

Scientific name: Spilopelia chinensis

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Streptopelia

11.Oriental Honey Buzzard

Scientific name: Pernis ptilorhynchus

12.Black Headed Ibis

Scientific name: Threskiornis melanocephalus

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Threskiornis

13.Asian Open billed Stork

Scientific name: Anastomus oscitans

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Openbill stork

14.Woolly Necked Stork

Scientific name: Ciconia episcopus

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Ciconia

15.Wood Sandpiper

Scientific name: Tringa glareola

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Tringa

 16.Red wattled Lapwing

Scientific name: Vanellus indicus

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Vanellus

17. Great Black-headed Gull / Pallas's Gull

Scientific name: Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Larus

18.Grey Heron

             

Scientific name: Ardea cinerea

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Ardea

19. Blossom Headed Parakeet

Scientific name: Psittacula roseata

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Psittacula

20.Vernal Hanging Parakeet

Scientific name: Loriculus vernalis

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Hanging parrot

21.Small Blue Kingfisher/Common Kingfisher

 

Scientific name: Alcedo atthis

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Alcedo

22.Pied Kingfisher

Scientific name: Ceryle rudis

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Ceryle

23.White Breasted Kingfisher

Scientific name: Halcyon smyrnensis

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Halcyon

24.Stork Billed Kingfisher

Scientific name: Pelargopsis capensis

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Pelargopsis

25.Purple Sun Bird

Scientific name: Cinnyris asiaticus

26. Cormorants

Scientific name: Phalacrocoracidae

Rank: Family

Lower classifications: Phalacrocorax

Higher classification: Pelecaniformes

27.Egrets

Scientific name: Egretta garzetta

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Egretta

28.Brahminy Starling

Scientific name: Sturnia pagodarum

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Sturnus

29.Indian Pond Heron

Scientific name: Ardeola grayii

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Ardeola

30.Black Drongo

Scientific name: Dicrurus macrocercus

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Dicrurus

31.Racket Tailed Drongo

Scientific name: Dicrurus paradiseus

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Dicrurus

32.Whiskered Tern

Scientific name: Chlidonias hybridus

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Marsh tern

33.Small Minivet

Scientific name: Pericrocotus cinnamomeus

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Minivet

       
 34.Red Whiskered Bulbul

           

 Scientific name: Pycnonotus jocosus

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Pycnonotus

35.Redvented Bulbul

                              

Scientific name: Pycnonotus cafer

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Pycnonotus

36.Rufus Treepie

Scientific name: Dendrocitta vagabunda

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Dendrocitta

37.White Cheeked Barbet

                        

Scientific name: Megalaima viridis

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Megalaima

38.Pied Bushchat

 
Scientific name: Saxicola caprata

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Saxicola

    Above is the list of birds photographed during my visits,as mentioned earlier, some elusive birds gave me only a glimpse, they are:

39.Asian Paradise Flycatcher   

40.Golden Fronted Leafbird

41.Orangeheaded Groundthrush  

42.White breasted waterhen 

43.Greater Coucal

44.Asian Koel 

                       
                Birds are the major population among the inhabitants of the river basin and this is a breeding place for a good variety of species. A large flocks of migratory birds takes shelter in the river during their migration period.

Butterflies

             A good number butterflies making their lives here,I think butterflies become more active when air become warm and hot, as my visits were mostly in morning, the number of species spotted were less in number, but it is observed that a chance of spotting more species is high when you observe the place at right time, may be after 10.Pm.The species spotted and photographed are

1.Crimson Rose

Scientific name: Atrophaneura hector

            The abundance of a plant called Garudakkodi (Aristolochia indica or Indian Birthwort ) in the area makes this place a haven for Crimson Rose, as the species chose this plant to lay their eggs and then larva make its living by consuming the leaf of the plant

2.Common Mormon

Scientific name: Papilio polytes

 3.Plain Tiger or African monarch

 Scientific name: Danaus chrysippus

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Danaus

  The Others

         The Reptiles like Asiatic water snake,Rat snakes were spotted. The active burrows founded are the signs of presence of the variety of snake population. A good number of Oriental Garden Lizards were spotted and photographed.A large number of dragonflies,damselflies,beetles like Turpentine Beetles and other insects included at the lower strata of food chain forming healthy micro livings of the river.The birds in this area depends upon this micro ecology for their diet.

Threats and Opportunities

 
             The sustenance of river facing some serious threats and in spite of such threats, the river still flowing by giving some opportunities    

  Threats

    1. Human Intervention

         
         The Major threat is human beings and their interventions.Human intervention is a serious global environmental issue of the present time.The entire world is now facing serious Injuries of such interventions in the name of development and progress, I am not yet convinced to what kind of progress, those so called developmentalists leading us by destroying our valuable ecological treasures ?.The Kankappuzha also not free from such injuries, the activities of some greedy human beings makes the river vulnerable.The major damages due to the human interventions are    

 1. Indiscriminate felling of trees
         

       Some years back the shore had a large number of trees,mainly consists of windmill palm trees and some other large forest trees, that formed a miniature forest and thus fertilized the soil by preventing soil erosion and organic process had been maintained, now the shore remains only a number trees that can be counted on the fingers of one hand. 
                  

 2. Unscientific sand mining
             
      It is a fact that sand is an unavoidable mineral in construction field and it must be used wisely. The amount of the sand to mined should be fixed based on scientific studies.The sand mafia raising some serious social and environmental problems. In earlier days river had more than enough sand to meet the local needs, the indiscriminate mining and the emergence of sand mafia makes the things worst

3. Land encroachment 
            The another threat is Land mafia, the major portion of the shore is now behind the fence of private land owners, in each year the fence is growing by encroaching to shore. The last resurvey of Bharathappuzha conducted in 1968 ie 45 years back. A proper resurvey would reveal the fact

  4. Anti social gatherings
                
     The place is now a main center for anti social gatherings and infamous hideouts for drunkards and gamblers, Such anti social gangs disturbing the calmness of the area

 5.Conversion of Wetlands and Paddy Fields
               The large scale conversion of the paddy fields in the surroundings of river adversely affected the water level of the river, the paddy fields are the recharging sources of the river and playing a major role in maintaining the water level of the rivers.The result of such paddy field conversion was the drought of the yesteryear.

 6. Waste and Garbage disposal 
  

      Most of the rivers in kerala facing the same issue more or less seriously. Some people considering rivers as a palce to dispose their garbage, some of them are not at all aware of the serious environmental issues like water contamination and others, but some anti socials deliberately throwing the industrial and bio wastes to the river water and make the river polluted. Serious actions should be taken to prevent this and also some social awareness measures needed to make people aware in this issue

Opportunities

         
    Of course, the best opportunity the river offering is its rich water.The river watering and fertilizing its entire shore of 209 Kms from its origin from Anamalai Hills of Western Ghats and end at Arabian Sea at ponnani.

Tourism Potentials
                 
     The governments proposed so many tourism projects based on the heritage and cultural importance of the river, the recent one was the Nila Heritage Tourism Boat Service that starting from Kalpathi river and ends at the Ponnani estuary(the details yet unknown).A combined Cultural and eco tourism project that purely based on ecological and cultural importance of the river may attract the genuine tourists (not the so called freaks, to whom the eco tourism is meant to have alcohol in forests and other ecologically important areas).The Proposed Art Village Project is another announcement by the authority

 Urgent Need for Conservation    

In spite of all adverse conditions, the river still maintanining a healthy ecology in its banks, but the glory is fading soon. It is the time to be alert those who loves the river.The river desperately needs your helping hand. Some urgent measure to be taken, some of my suggestions.

1.Afforestation in the shore:

     
       Afforestation is the best way to protect the river bank. The natural afforestation, which letting the plants and trees grow without any human intervention, is desirable, but in present condition the afforestation by planting of trees is the best option.The trees that has rapid growth and strong roots(the roots may penetrate in to soil and strengthen it ) and the plants that attract butterflies(different species of butterflies diffrent plants to lay eggs and to consume nectar) must be planned.The trees protect the shores from soil erosion and landslide.

2.Make people aware :

   

       A societal awareness is needed to prevent anti social activities in the river. An intensive campaign needed to make people aware about the cultural and environmental importance of the river.A river protection group should be formed.

Conclusion

            

        A new wave of environmental awareness and conservation activities all over in kerala giving a new hope to the nature lovers. Local people joining together to protect their rivers,hills and wetlands.The Kakkad River protection forum, Chalakudi River protection groups are some examples. No such attempts never occurred in the case of Nila, no such serious groups never created, the serious damages to the river never diagnosed.It is better late than never...we are already late... we have no time to hesitate...lets join hands together to save our river.