(COORG) and KERALA Dr
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CONSERVATION OF WESTERN GHATS AND DELUGE IN KODAGU (COORG) AND KERALA Dr. M.G. Chandrakanth*, Dr. M.G. Nagaraj** Kodagu the misty land and Kerala Western Ghats have a cover of hills, the God's land are extolled as rivulets, rivers with plenty of flora and environmentally beautiful landscape fauna. In particular Kodagu, Kerala locations in the Western Ghats line and Africa through ancient Kavery series - Sahyadri region. 3rd century (Kudapole) have a geographical Girnar 2nd rock inscription of Asoka relation. The then ("Kuda' means (about 258 B.C.) mentions west) Kudapole, had two prominent, geographical area Satiaputa and west flowing branches and one branch Keralaputa, [pertaining to Kodagu, towards east, about 7.3 million years Dakshina Kannada, Kerala (Malabar) back. When the Western Ghats rose of western ghats] which are in height, due to Geological abundantly rich in forests. The phenomenon Kudapole which was passing through the land space in the sea up to Madagaskar island near Africa and later used to be called as "Mahajunga', left its path to Barapole; - it was a river capture by Barapole which takes its name later as ""Bharata Pu¶avu' in Kerala and joins the Arabian Sea at Balyapathemi, after the above pre-historic event. Since then Kaveri retained the eastern branch as (Courtesy : 15-8-1967 its only path till today. This seems to Deccan Herald) be first known geological disturbing * Director, Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bengaluru ** C/o. The Mythic Society, Bengaluru. 114 The Quarterly Journal of The Mythic Society event resulting the ecological- aboriginals and established the environmental climate change along kingship to these leading Velir people. with river capture-(change of river As already stated probably the then path) etc., in this region of Western Ku²apo¶e was attributed by the sacred Ghats. We can just imagine even, in name "Kaveri' by 11th century B.C. such event the occurrence of deluged Hence Kodagu and Kerala flourished floods, and the peril of the then living with abundant forests, rivers and crop beings whatever their form maybe. It fields etc., with rich flora and fauna was a kind of Natural ravage. Such as noted earlier. Such was the events in very dilute form might have conservation of Western Ghats since occurred in the later stages also and pristine ancient period. Even Grater aboriginals might have faced hazards. an English poet in his poem in 1869 Apart from this, we can observe that A.D. has extolled the beauty and a path of green fertility and present fertility of Kodagu flora and fauna i.e., rich plantation have been installed with crops, fruits, trees and animals. from Balamuri-Guhya-Siddapur area Infact it is said be one of the beautiful (where Kudapole cuts into eastern and landscape dictionary of South India. western branches) upto Makutta in Let it be so. south Kodagu; since fertile land In the month of July-August 2018 developed due to the western flow of the turmoil of the situation due to the then Ku²apo¶e-Kaveri. It is also deluged floods in Kodagu and Kerala interesting to note that the western occurred which has resulted in the loss part of South Coorg is called even of lives, and live stock, with landslides, today as granary of paddy. The name drowned houses, resorts, people ""Kaveri'' is a later puranic unsheltered and destroyed plantation, (Mythalogical) name to Ku²apo¶e after paddy fields, roads, bridges and the incarporation of the story of vehicles floated and gone with the Agastya-Kaveri. Of course the Kerala floods. Sources (K.K. Mannen, Kerala Culture, 1942, pp.80-81) say that Agastya in The reason for this happening is 1075 B.C. came to Western Ghats attributed not only to Nature's red eye along with 18 Velir families and but also manmade ambitious activities Aruvalars the ancestors of Kuruba (one's own mistake to the extent of Conservation of Western Ghats and Deluge in Kodagu (Coorg) and Kerala 115 annihilation) like - felling of the trees Kerala state and some parts of in the forests whimsically, by Dakshina Kannada district. So many encroaching and construction of hundred of lives and property of many Resorts in the midst of forests. hundred acres worth of thousands Homestay buildings, Tanks on the hill crores during July and August, 2018 sides to facilitate them for luxurious have been at loss due this event. pleasure to tourists, and similarly near In the light of this deluge, we have the bank of minor rivers and ritulets. to look back the attempts made to It is learnt some 56000 trees have warn if the Nature-balance, been felled to accomndate the power environmental sensitive area safety are installations. According to Central neglected, and the effects of it. Then ISFR biannual report (2017) Kodagu comes to our memory the suggestive in Karnataka has shrunken in its role of the Madhava Gadgil Committee forest area by 102 sq.km though report and Kasturi Rangan Committee Karnataka as a whole has an increase report and their characteristic features by one percent i.e. by 1,101 sq.km. for conservations of Western Ghats, Hence the fate of Kodagu has lead to merits and demerits, consequantly the the deluge. The floods due to deluge reactions of people and the interested was so much all the rivulets in north lobbies. In this direction previous western parts of Coorg in the month attempts made for the conservations of August, 2018 itself have been has to be also noted. boosted as river like. The deluge has clearly shown its effects when the Attempts for historical conservation Nature's balance is destroyed by the of Western Ghats man's encroachment and other The go back study of India's destructive red activities. Thus when Natural calamities due to floods and the nature resents then it becomes as climate changes, we find that it alerted the poet says: Nature is red in her the human sensibility and volunteer tooth and claw assistance consciousness in all phases The perennial rains and swelling in Karnataka, Kerala. It was a floods are said to have caused the trail volunteered conscious response in of ravages and ruins heavily in Kodagu rescuing and alleviating the loss of (Coorg) district of Karnataka state and lives and the pains of suffering people. 116 The Quarterly Journal of The Mythic Society But this active volunteer system has respectively. The indigenous tribes in yet to be more systemised on strong these hills are numerous and leading qualitative basis with the Government their life since many centuries. After statutory involvement. Hence we have the advent of the British, who to study role of the Government and developed the decidous (shedding whether its active attempts, were leaves) and evergreen forests, which carried on in course of time on top facilitated the growers to install swiftly priority, in the conservation process. growing teak and economic crops like coffee and tea; plantation, and The states' less care towards industries got convenient support in environmental conservation of addition to the construction of dams, Western Ghats has been exhibited by mining activities, with least regard to allowing mining, quarrying, illegal Environmental safety. After India's plantation development, agricultural independence these operations were farming, real estate activities on the bolstered. hills (in sensitive ecological area). These man-made activities have been Observing these activities and rampant, neglecting the sustainability ensuing possible danger the st and protection of the environment. Government by 21 century awaking This has resulted in environment itself with initiative to control them destruction. These aspects daw our with a concern for the conservation attention. of Western Ghats to be on the focus. The Western Ghats series have The Western Ghat area from Gujarat stretched along Indian peninsula from to Southern edge of India has the Gujarat almost to the Southern edge length spread over 1600 k.m. with of India. Western Ghats are said to 1,64,280 sq. km. initiating for an be the water tank of Southern India, attempt to save this valuable Nature's since 58 rivers raise from Western Forest deposit, the thought of laying Ghats. They passed through foundation for the same by the Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Government came to a shape in about Tamil Nadu. In this region distinctive 2002 A.D. The indigenous tribes who species of flora and fauna are found were considered as encroachers of and they exist in 1500 and 500 nos. forest, were later treated as the people Conservation of Western Ghats and Deluge in Kodagu (Coorg) and Kerala 117 of concern to maintain the forests and ecologically sensitive area (ESA). It its produce by framing the Forest has with ESA, phased out ecologically Rights Act, 2006. Hence the Govt. sensitive zones viz., ESZ I, II and III, introduced the Environmental Impact which will consider the existing local assessment Regulations, 2006 and condition and internal rifts if any. passed the National Green Tribunal Further, it had specified that on any Act, 2010. account, the land should not be debased and should have complete In this background former Central control over the Western Ghat Minister Jairam Ramesh called for a activities. The Committee has also meeting of Civil Society groups, who placed other conditions as follows: were concerned with the protection of The genetically modified crops Western Ghats in 2010. After due should not be cultivated in the entire consultations with these groups, area; the plastic use should be Western Ghats Ecology Panel was gradually cut down within a period of constituted under the chairmanship of three years, in the entire area. No new famous scientist Madhava Gadgil, to special economic zone or hill station scrutinise the environmental impact in need be created in ESA; No public case granting clearance and to dispose lands need to be converted into private cases connected with the lands and no forest land should be environmental issues.