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Home , Cycas beddomei, Kalrayan Hills, Seshachalam Hills, Vizianagaram district

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EPTRI-ENVIS Newsletter ISSN No: 0974-2336

The E P T R I - E N V I S N e w s l e t t e r ENVIS CENTRE ON ECOLOGY OF EASTERN GHATS

The ENVIS Centre on Eastern Ghats is a decentralized Environmental Information Centre established by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of on thematic issue of Ecology of Eastern Ghats

Volume-21 Issue-2 April - June 2015

ENVIS CENTRE ON ECOLOGY OF EASTERN GHATS ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION TRAINING & RESEARCH INSTITUTE 91/4, Gachibowli, -500 032, India. Ph: +91-40-23180120, 23180115, 23180100 Fax: +91-40-23180135 URL: http://eptrienvis.nic.in EPTRI Email : [email protected] Eastern Ghats: EPTRI-ENVIS Newsletter Vol.21, No.2, 2015

Editorial Editorial Page No.

Eastern Ghats harbours a wide list of World Environment Day 1 sanctuaries and national parks, many hills, June 17th World Day to Combat 1 minor rivers, and waterfalls providing a great Desertification aesthetic sense. Today, unfortunately these Forth Coming Events 1 Eastern Ghats are under tremendous stress, Biodiversity Conservation - Issues 2 degradation and damage due to human greed, and Measures Exclusive to Eastern Ghats: A Review population pressure, un-sustainable development, apathy by public, negligence by ENVIS activities – Swachh Bharat 7 public servants, etc. This issue focuses on the th brief description of Eastern Ghats on their June 17 World Day to Combat Desertification geographical location, characteristics, vegetation and their significance, challenges The Theme for this year's celebration as announced by UNCCD Secretariat is “Attainment and initiatives taken for conservation. of food security for all through sustainable food ENVIS Coordinator systems.” The slogan for 2015 WDCD is No such thing as a free lunch. World Environment Day

Theme for

ENVIS Team UNCCD - WDCD 2015 Dr. M. Suneela, ENVIS Coordinator World Day to Cambat Decertification 2015 Dr. K. Jyothi, Sr. Program Officer Mr. Md. Khader, Data Entry Operator Forth Coming Events

Published by MoEF Sponsored Training Program on EPTRI, Hyderabad “Clean Development Mechanism & Renewable Energy with Special Reference to Bio-fuels” to be Supported by th th Ministry of Environment, Forests & organized by EPTRI during 6 - 10 July, 2015 for Climate Change IFS Officers Ministry of External Affairs sponsored training New Delhi, India. program on Waste Water Treatment which will be conducted by EPTRI under Colombo Plan (TCS) for Views expressed in the article of this newsletter is of the authors only International Participants from 10.08.2015 – 22.08.2015 1 Eastern Ghats: EPTRI-ENVIS Newsletter Vol.21, No.2, 2015

Biodiversity Conservation - Issues and Measures Exclusive to Eastern Ghats: A Review Dr.Swaroopa.Marella* Dept. of Sericulture, Sri Padmavathi Mahila Visvavidyalayam, - 517 502, A.P., India

Eastern Ghats- Introduction Nallamalai Hills of is seen in these The Eastern Ghats, also known as Purva Ghat or ghats. The Eastern Ghats is the homeland for Mahendra parvatam, are a discontinuous range of many Buddhist ruins from to south mountains (also known as Malyadri ) running Andhra, and has Buddhist sites, which provide a rd parallel to the along India's eastern panoramic view of the history of Buddhism from 3 th coast from state in the north, century B.C. to 14 century A.D. The Eastern through Odisha and Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Ghats are considered as abodes of many famous Nadu in the south passing some parts of Hindu pilgrimage sites. The Eastern Ghats also is one of the important physiographic harbours a wide list of Sanctuaries and National units with great environmental, socio-economic, parks, many hills, minor rivers, and waterfalls cultural and spiritual significance in the providing a great aesthetic sense. peninsular region of our country. They are located Eastern Ghats: Geographical Location: o o o between 11 30' and 22 N latitude and 76 50' and Starting from West Bengal, the hill ranges pass o 86 30 E longitude in a North-East to South-West. through Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, touches The lies to the west of the range, Karnataka and ends in . They extend between the Eastern Ghats and Western Ghats. over a length of 1700 Km in a north-east south- The coastal plains lie between the Eastern Ghats west strike in the Indian Peninsula covering an and the Bay of Bengal. The region harbours more area of about 2, 50,000 Sq. Km., with an average than 3,700 vascular which include 380 width of 220 Km in the north and 100 Km in the species of legumes, 200 species of orchids. south. The basin marks the northern Grasses dominate the landscape with over 400 boundary of the Eastern ghats while the southern species. Over 40 per cent of the species i.e., boundary is the Nilagiri hills. Major portion of the nearly 1,400 species have medicinal properties. mountain range falls in the state of Andhra Endemic fauna to Eastern Ghats are Jerdon's Pradesh. Courser (Rhinoptilus bitorquatus), Gray slender Epic Mahendra giri range of Orissa and Yarada, loris (Loris lydekkerianus). The rare gecko's found Papikondalu forms northern part of the ranges here are Indian golden gecko (Calodactylodes while Nallamalai, Yerramalais, Palakonda, aureus), Rock Gecko (Hemiphyllodactylus Velikonda, Sheshachalam and Kambakkam forms aurantiacus), Sharma's Skink (Eutropis the Central portion of the hills. North of the river nagarjuni), bull, an acclaimed bovine in Tamilnadu are Kollamalai, Pachamalai, breed, Scarecrow spider which is susceptible to be Shevroy hills, , Chitteri, Palamalai declared as endangered, and plant species like and hills. The southernmost Eastern Ghats beddomei (Critically Endangered), are low Sirumalai and Karantha malai hills Decalepis hamiltonii (Endangered), Hildegardia situated in southern Tamilnadu. populifolia (Vulnerable), Phyllanthus indofischeri ( V u l n e r a b l e ) , P i m p i n e l l a t i r u p a t i e n s i s Characteristics of Eastern Ghats: ( E n d a n g e r e d ) , P t e r o c a r p u s s a n t a l i n u s One of the biggest characteristics of Eastern Ghats (Endangered), Shorea tumbaggaia (Endangered), lie in its being extremely fertile. In fact, the Ghat is Syzygium alternifolium (Endangered), Terminalia said to be the watershed of many rivers as the Ghat pallida (Endangered), Urginea nagarjunae gets higher average waterfall. Due to higher (Endangered) and Zingiber roseum (Endangered). rainfall, the fertile land results into better crops. Chenchu, a tribal community inhabiting the Often referred as “Estuaries Of India”, Eastern

2 Eastern Ghats: EPTRI-ENVIS Newsletter Vol.21, No.2, 2015

Ghats gift its inhabitant the popular profession of ii. The flora of Eastern ghats fisheries as its coastal area is full of fishing The flora of eastern ghats include Clematis roylei; opportunity. Clematis smilacifolia; Clematis wightiana; Michelia i. Vegetation of Eastern ghats champaca; Miliusa montana; Polyalthia korinti; Cyclea peltata; Tinospora sinensis; Capparis According to the classification of Champion and nilgiriensis; Capparis olacifolia; Capparis Seth (1968), vegetation in Eastern Ghats can be roxburghii; Hypericum gaitii; Garcinia broadly classified into (1) Evergreen forests, (2) xanthochymus; Mammea suriga; Shorea Tropical semi-evergreen forests, (3) Tropical moist t u m b a g g a i a ; A b e l m o s c h u s m o s c h a t u s ; deciduous forests, (4) Southern tropical dry Decaschistia cuddapahensis; Decaschistia rufa; deciduous forests, (5) Northern mixed dry Eriolaena lushingtonii; Hildegardia populifolia; deciduous forests, (6) Dry Savannah forests, (7) Ealeocarpus lanceifolius; Impatiens diversifolia; Scrub forests, (8) Tropical dry evergreen forests Citrus medica; Clausena anisata; Clausena and(9) Tropical dry evergreen scrub. austroindica; Melicope lunuankenda; Zanthoxylum ovalifolium; Boswellia ovalifoliolata.

Flora of Eastern Ghats

Terminalia pallida Boswelia ovalifolia Syzygium alternifolium

Decaschistia rufa Thunbergia fragrance

Pterocarpus santalinus Pimpinela tirupatiensis Rhyncosia beddomei

3 Eastern Ghats: EPTRI-ENVIS Newsletter Vol.21, No.2, 2015 iii. Fauna of Eastern Ghats common/Hanuman langur, sloth bear, mongoose Faunal records include several species of as well as several species of bats and rats. The mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds, some Indian pangolin, fishing cat, Indian smooth-coated of which are rare and endangered. Among the otter and wolf are some of the more predators Leopard is quite common, along with uncommon/rarely seen mammalian species of the the Wild Dog. Other predators include Hyena, Eastern Ghats. Several species of reptiles and Golden Jackal, Indian Fox, Small Indian Civet amphibians have been recorded, some and Jungle Cat. Sloth Bear is frequently rare/endangered species like the golden hill gecko, encountered. Other mammal inhabitants found the Indian monitor lizard, the python and the here are tiger, jungle and leopard cat, wild boar, solitary species of uropeltid snake are recorded, nilgai, gaur, spotted deer, sambhar, mouse deer, not to mention the burrowing limbless skink. In barking deer, Indian blackbuck, four-horned the Wildlife Sanctuary located in Salur antelope, porcupine, Indian hedgehog, slender mandal of district, Andhra Pradesh, loris, tree shrew, black-naped hare, jackal, palm is found the king cobra. A number of other species civet, striped hyena, Indian wild dog, Indian fox, of both venomous and non-venomous snakes are rhesus and bonnet macaques, also found in the Ghats.

Fauna of Eastern Ghats

Tetracerus quadricornis Crocodylus palustris Castalius rosimon

Panthera pardus fusca Pavo cristatus Python molurus

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Eastern Ghats - Significance: archetypical mammalian species. For millions of years the Eastern Ghats have been Eastern Ghats - Challenges today cradles of life and civilization. Eastern Ghats is Today, unfortunately these prominent mountain home for a rich variety of minerals, rivers, ranges are under tremendous stress, degradation wetlands, and several ancient places of worship and damage due to human greed, population like Simhachalam, Annavaram, Bhadrachalam, pressure, un-sustainable development, apathy by Srisailam, Mahanandi, , and modern public, negligence by public servants, etc. temples like Nagarjunasagar dam and Srisailam Haphazard mining, logging, poaching, forest fires, project. Many primitive tribal groups such as unsustainable harvest of forest produce, pilferage Chenchus, Koya, Savara, Jatapu, Konda dora, of rare species, smuggling and export of rare flora Gadaba, Khond, Manne dora, Mukha Dora etc., and fauna, encroachments of forest land and have been living in a symbiotic relationship with i n f r a s t r u c t u r e d e v e l o p m e n t , m y o p i c their habitats in the forests and hills. Major rivers industrialization, springing up of habitations with of peninsular India i.e. Mahanadi, Godavari, an intention to colonize and devour the forest. The Krishna, Penna and Kaveri pass through the hill forest area in the Eastern Ghats has shrunk to half ranges. Small local rivers and streams originate of what it was at the beginning of our republic. and emanate in hills also are the vital source of Exponential growth and development accelerated water in the region.The mountain ranges are rich the decline of the natural glory of Eastern Ghats in biodiversity, forests range from dry deciduous has to stop. mixed forest to semi evergreen rain forest. Asia's biggest tiger reserve, Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Though Eastern Ghats is such a rich and diverse Tiger Sanctuary is located in the Nallamala range eco-geographic unit, it has not caught the of Eastern Ghats. attention for conservation and to protect has national heritage is a prominent eco-geographic , one of the first Biosphere unit, for ages the hill ranges were not viewed as one Reserve in Andhra Pradesh, is located in southern entity since they are dissected by river gaps, Eastern Ghats of Chittoor and districts. It wetland and planes. There is a felt and immense is spread over 4755.99 Km2. The reserve locates in need of a concerted and macro level conservation southern Eastern Ghats and spread over the movement by the involvement of all stakeholders Seshachalam hills of and especially the public, for Eastern Ghats region. It is Tirumala hills of . Tirumala hills also felt that collectivizing or binding all which are popularly known as the seven hills of individuals and civil society groups into a network Lord Sri . The elevation ranges from will bring much focus and strength to the cause. 150 to 1,130m, the terrain is undulating, with deep forest covered valleys. Most of the rainfall is Eastern Ghats - Biosecurity: received from the northeast monsoon and a little The Government has taken many initiatives to from the southwest monsoon. The vegetation is a protect biodiversity of the Eastern Ghats. unique mix of the dry deciduous and moist Seshachalam hill ranges of Andhra Pradesh have deciduous types. The biosphere reserve is home to been designated as Biosphere Reserve. Several six endemic plant species: Cycas beddomei, Wildlife Sanctuaries established in the Eastern Pterocarpus santalinus, Terminalia pallida, Ghats to preserve its Biodiversity. These include Syzygium alternifolium, Shorea tambaggia and Gundla Brahmeswaram, Kambalakonda, Boswellia ovalifoliolata. It is the richest floristic Kaundinya, Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam, Papikonda, hot spot harboring many endemic and rare Pocharam, Rollapadu, Sri Lankamalleswaram, Sri plants. The entire sanctuary is an uninhabited Peninsula Narasimha and Sri Venkateswara large chunk of dry deciduous Red Sanders Wildlife Sanctuaries. bearing forest, forming catchments to Eastern Ghats - Initiatives Taken for and Penna rivers, both in Chittoor conservation: and Kadapa districts. This biosphere reserve Since the Eastern Ghats form a broken chain of harbours rich endemic fauna and is a repository mountainous terrain spreading in the states of of many rare reptilians, exotic birds and Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and two 5 Eastern Ghats: EPTRI-ENVIS Newsletter Vol.21, No.2, 2015 districts of Karnataka, the jurisdiction is covered eco-systems like wildlife Corridors, specialised in four sections, namely- Northern-Eastern Ghats ecosystems, and special breeding site/area, areas which covers the area above Mahanadi to with intrinsically low resilience, sacred groves and Northern boundary of Orissa- Mayurbhanj frontier forests etc. is also very important. Geo- district. Other three sections are river Mahanadi morphological conditions which are known to have to river Godavari, river Krishna to Chennai city substantial effect on eco-systems at large include and southern ghats i.e. tract between Chennai uninhabited islands in the sea, steep slopes, and Nilgiri hills to river Vaigai. origins or rivers which are also to be conserved. Botanical Survey of India (BSI) has published In addition to these primary criteria, seven other several floras to document on the biodiversity of auxiliary criteria viz., species based – areas or Eastern Ghats. These are Flora of Tamil Nadu centres of less known food plants, eco system (including districts of Eastern Ghats), Flora of based – wetlands and grasslands and geo- Nallamala, Flora of , Flora of morphological features based – upper catchment , Flora of Venkateshwara Wildlife areas, not so steep slopes, high rainfall areas and Sanctuary, Flora of , Flora of other uninhabited islands also plays an important Nagarjuankonda, Flora of Maredumalai, Flora of role in the protection of biodiversity of the Eastern Medak and Flora of Chittor District. Ghats. Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has also taken steps to document the faunal resources in the References: Eastern Ghats. It has published under State Fauna series the Fauna of Andhra Pradesh in 1. Joseph G and Ramachandran. V (2001). The eight volumes and the Fauna of Tamilnadu in two Eastern Ghats. Ashoka Trust for Research in volumes, both of which contain the fauna of Ecology and the Environment, Bangalore, Karnataka. Newsletter 4(1): 4–5. Eastern Ghats also. 2. Pullaiah T and Muralidhara Rao D (2002). Flora A National Biodiversity Authority has been set up of Eastern Ghats Vol.1.Regency Publications New and as per Biodiversity Act, 2002, seven Delhi. Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) 3. Mohan K.R. and Subramanyam V (2002). have been formed to document and preserve the The role of forest in Tribal life: An anthropological biodiversity in the Eastern Ghats. study in the Eastern ghats of Andhra Prdesh , Conclusion: Pondicherry University Journal of Social Sciences Eastern Ghats are identified as depository of and Humanities Vol 3 No 2 PP 67-82. environmental wealth having “Incomparable 4.Rao Divakara V (1999). A glimpse into the Values” that carry a heap of ecological importance geology of the Eastern Ghats. EPTRI-ENVIS which require special attention for their Newsletter 4(1): 4–5. conservation, preventing the imminent possibility 5. Rao R.S (1998). Vegetation and valuable plant of permanent and irreparable loss of extant life resources of the Eastern Ghats. Proceedings of the forms from the world, or significant damage to the National Seminar On Conservation Of Eastern natural processes of evolution and speciation. Ghats. EPTRI,Hyderabad,pp:59-86 After degradation and loss of natural resources, 6. Reddy C.S, Reddy K.N, Murthy E.N and Raju V.S the Ministry of Environment and Forests has (2009). Tree Wealth of Eastern Ghats of Andhra identified eco-sensitive areas in the Eastern Pradesh, India: An updated checklist. Check List Ghats and is also taking initiatives to protect 5(2): 173–194. biodiversity. 7. Subramanyam V (2001). Tribes and ecology of Measures should be taken to protect endemism, Andhra Pradesh: An Anthropological study, in the rarity, endangered species; species which are or Science of Man in Service of Man (ed) M.K.Bhasin may become threatened with extinction and and S.L. Malik, department of Anthropology, centres of evolution of domesticated species, are University of Delhi, Delhi PP 49.61. critical for maintaining the range and pace of 8. Whistler H and Kinnear N. B (1932). Vernay evolution and speciation. Conservation of their Scientific survey of Eastern Ghats. Ornithology- Part 2. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 35: 737-760. 6 Eastern Ghats: EPTRI-ENVIS Newsletter Vol.21, No.2, 2015

At EPTRI, Hyderabad

Shri B. Kalyan Chakravarthy, IAS has taken over charge as Director General, EPTRI on 25-02-2015. He held various positions in the Government of Assam and the Government of India, Department of Agriculture, Finance, ENVIS Team Member Revenue, Urban Development Administration, Noting the issues raised by the local People Food Consumer Affairs & Public Distribution.

ENVIS Activities

Plantation by Director General, EPTRI & ENVIS Team Member’s

Swachh Bharat conducted at KV School, International Yoga Day June, 21st Gachibowli on “Water Conservation”

Swachh Bharat at Chandanagar, Area

Prime Minister Narendra Modi performs Yoga during a mass yoga session on the International Director General, EPTRI, Day of Yoga 2015 at Rajpath in New Delhi (Photo: Addressing the local people PTI)

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