Periyar is a protected area, and a nature reserve in the South Indian State of Kerala, set high in the mountains of the Western Ghats at the border to Tamil Nadu. It lies in the districts of Idukki and Pathanamthitta. The protected area covers an area of 777 km², out of which a 350 km² part of the core zone was made into the Periyar National Park and Tiger Reserve, sometimes dubbed the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. The park is often called by the name thekkady also. Thekkady is located four km from Kumily, approximately 100 km east of Alappuzha, 110 km west of Madurai and 120 km southeast from Kochi.
Geography
The Periyar protected area lies in the middle of a mountainous area of the Cardamom Hills. In the north and the east it is bounded by mountain ridges of over 1700 metres altitude and toward the west it expands into a 1200 Meter high plateau. From this level the altitude drops steeply to the deepest point of the reserve, the 100 Meter valley of the Pamba River. The highest peak is the 2019 Meter high Kottamalai.
The sanctuary surrounds picturesque 26 km² Periyar lake, formed by the building of Mullaperiyar Dam in 1895. This reservoir and the Periyar River meander around the contours of the wooded hills, providing a permanent source of water for the local wildlife.
Climate
The temperatures vary depending upon the altitude and it ranges between 15° Celsius in December and January and 31° Celsius in April and May. The annual amount of precipitation lies between 2000 and 3000 mm. About two thirds of the precipitation occurs during the southwest monsoon between June to September. A smaller amount of precipitation occurs during the northeast monsoon between October and December.
Vegetation
Approximately 75% of the entire protected area are covered of unaffected evergreen or semi-evergreen rain forest. There typically tall tropical tree species such as Vateria indica, Cullenia exarillata, Hopea parviflora, Canarium strictum, Artocarpus hirsutus and Bischofia javanica are seen. They reach heights of 40 to 50 Metres.
Scarcely 13% consists of damp leaves forest, 7% of Eucalyptus plantation and 1.5% of grassland. The remainder (around 3.5%) of the protected area is covered by the Periyar artificial lake as well as the Periyar River and Pamba rivers.
Altogether the reservation counts nearly 2000 kinds of flowering plants (Angiosperms), three kinds of seed plants (gymnosperms) and 170 different species of ferns. Among the Angiosperms, there are 169 families of sweet grasses and 155 kinds of Fabaceae. Orchids, with 145 representative types, are the most frequent flower.
About 350 of the occurring plant types can be used for medical purposes.
History
1895 - Construction of the Mullaperiyar Dam
1899 - Formation of the Periyar Lake Reserve
1933 - S.C.H. Robinson made the first game warden
1934 - Formation of Nellikkampatty Game Sanctuary
1950 - Consolidation of Periyar as a Wildlife sanctuary
1978 - Declaration of Periyar as a Tiger Reserve
1982 - Preliminary notification of the core area as a National Park
1991 - Brought under Project Elephant
1996 - India Ecodevelopment Project launched
2001 - Reorganised as two Divisions: Periyar East and Periyar West
Tourists and Pilgrims
There are allegations that The Periyar tiger reserve is a poorly monitored National park and the welfare of the wildlife has been compromised for the Ecotourism project which is undoubtedly considered to be a commercial success in India. The core zone of the park is not accessible to the tourists. Within the buffer zone of 430 km², a zone of 55 km² is kept apart for tourism. Game wardens and staff have been recently spotted illegally fishing and gathering specimens within the sanctuary area. The facilities within the sanctuary are in need of much maintenance and are presently in very poor standards. This has also contributed a steady decline in returning tourists to the sanctuary.
In the buffer zone there is also the temple of Sabarimala, which is visited by about 4 million pilgrims annually.
Its important to recognize, however, that for the very purpose of protecting its wildlife and shielding them from human interference, Periyar National Park allows extremely limited access to the territory under its jurisdiction, restricting tourist entry only to the northern corner adjacent to man-made lake Periyar. Despite this, Park authorities are engaged in a constant struggle against tiger and elephant poachers and other illegal intruders, many of whom destroy the forest to cultivate cannabis in its most inaccessible reaches.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Mullaperiyar Dam
Mullaperiyar Dam is constructed over the headwaters of the Periyar River river in Kerala, India. The Periyar National Park, Thekkady is located around the Periyar reservoir formed by the backwaters of this dam. It is operated by the Government of Tamil Nadu according to a 999-year lease agreement made during erstwhile British colonial rule.
Name
The name is derived from a portmanteau of Mullaiyar and Periyar. As the dam is located after the confluence of the Mullaiyar and Periyar Rivers, the river and hence the dam came to be called Mullaiperiyar
History
The structure was conceived by the British during the colonial rule to divert the waters of the west-flowing Periyar River eastwards, through the construction of a masonry dam, and taking the water from the reservoir through a tunnel cut across the watershed and Western Ghats to the acid rain shadow regions of Theni, Madurai District, Sivaganga District and Ramanathapuram districts of Tamil Nadu[3] . The Princely State of Travancore [4] was forced [5] to sign a treaty in 1886 in this regard to lease the dam site for 999 years to the then Madras government. The lease provided the British the rights over "all the waters" of the Mullaperiyar and its catchment, for an annual rent of Rs. 40,000.
The dam was built by the British Army Engineering corps for the Travancore kingdom. The first dam was washed away by floods, and a second masonry dam was constructed in 1895.
Disputes
The government of Tamil Nadu has proposed an increase in the storage level of the dam from the currently maintained 136 feet to 142 feet. The Kerala government has opposed this move, citing safety concerns for the more than hundred year old bridge and especially for the thickly populated districts downstream.
Historical background of the dispute
After Indian independence, the states were reorganised and the area surrounding the location of the dam was merged with Kerala State. Tamil Nadu continued to use the water from Periyar for extending irrigation facilities , and later for power generation [6] on the basis of informal agreements between the governments of the two states. In 1970 the Kerala and Tamil Nadu governments signed a formal agreement to renew the 1886 treaty almost completely. The Idukki Hydroelectric project, located 30 km downstream was completed in 1976 by the Kerala government, is still the major resource for irrigation and electricity needs of Kerala. After Independence the areas downstream of the Mullaperiyar had started to become heavily inhabited. In 1979, safety concerns were raised by Kerala Government after a minor earthquake, after which a few leaks were detected in the Mullaperiyar dam. A state agency [7] had reported that the structure would not withstand an earthquake above magnitude 6 on the Richter scale. The then Tamil Nadu government lowered the storage level to the current 136 feet (from 142.2 feet) at the request of the Kerala Government to carry out safety repairs, after which it was suggested that the storage level could be raised to the full reservoir level of 152 feet. Meanwhile the storage levels in the new Idukki dam were not sufficient for the hydroelectric project to work to its full capacity due to insufficient inflow from its catchment areas. Security concerns regarding the downstream inhabitants prompted Kerala to backtrack on the 1970 Agreement in 2000. Another argument put forward by Kerala on the basis of a report on a study conducted state agencies [8] suggested that the loss of habitat to the fauna of Periyar National Park would occur due to flooding after the increase in the storage level.
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government had increased its withdrawal from the reservoir, with additional facilities to cater to the increased demand from newly irrigated areas. One article [9] estimates that "the crop losses to Tamil Nadu, because of the reduction in the height of the dam, between 1980 and 2005 is a whopping Rs. 40,000 crores. In the process the farmers of the erstwhile rain shadow areas in Tamil Nadu who had started a thrice yearly cropping pattern had to go back to the bi-annual cropping."
However, the Kerala Government maintains that this is not true. During the year 1979-80 the gross area cultivated in Periyar command area was 171307 acres. After the lowering of the level to 136ft, the gross irrigated area increased and in 1994-95 it reached 2,29,718 acres.
Current status
Tamil Nadu is the custodian of the dam and its surrounding areas. The Supreme Court of India has allowed for the storage level to be raised to 142 feet. [11] A recent law, promulgated by the Kerala government against increasing the storage level has not been objected [12] to by the Supreme Court[13] of India, which termed it as not unconstitutional. But so far Kerala has not objected in giving water to Tamilnadu. Their main cause of objection is the dams safety as it is as old as 110 years. Increasing the level would add more pressure to be handled by already leaking dam. Obviously no masonry dam will survive for 999 years so a new dam may replace the existing one in near future.
Name
The name is derived from a portmanteau of Mullaiyar and Periyar. As the dam is located after the confluence of the Mullaiyar and Periyar Rivers, the river and hence the dam came to be called Mullaiperiyar
History
The structure was conceived by the British during the colonial rule to divert the waters of the west-flowing Periyar River eastwards, through the construction of a masonry dam, and taking the water from the reservoir through a tunnel cut across the watershed and Western Ghats to the acid rain shadow regions of Theni, Madurai District, Sivaganga District and Ramanathapuram districts of Tamil Nadu[3] . The Princely State of Travancore [4] was forced [5] to sign a treaty in 1886 in this regard to lease the dam site for 999 years to the then Madras government. The lease provided the British the rights over "all the waters" of the Mullaperiyar and its catchment, for an annual rent of Rs. 40,000.
The dam was built by the British Army Engineering corps for the Travancore kingdom. The first dam was washed away by floods, and a second masonry dam was constructed in 1895.
Disputes
The government of Tamil Nadu has proposed an increase in the storage level of the dam from the currently maintained 136 feet to 142 feet. The Kerala government has opposed this move, citing safety concerns for the more than hundred year old bridge and especially for the thickly populated districts downstream.
Historical background of the dispute
After Indian independence, the states were reorganised and the area surrounding the location of the dam was merged with Kerala State. Tamil Nadu continued to use the water from Periyar for extending irrigation facilities , and later for power generation [6] on the basis of informal agreements between the governments of the two states. In 1970 the Kerala and Tamil Nadu governments signed a formal agreement to renew the 1886 treaty almost completely. The Idukki Hydroelectric project, located 30 km downstream was completed in 1976 by the Kerala government, is still the major resource for irrigation and electricity needs of Kerala. After Independence the areas downstream of the Mullaperiyar had started to become heavily inhabited. In 1979, safety concerns were raised by Kerala Government after a minor earthquake, after which a few leaks were detected in the Mullaperiyar dam. A state agency [7] had reported that the structure would not withstand an earthquake above magnitude 6 on the Richter scale. The then Tamil Nadu government lowered the storage level to the current 136 feet (from 142.2 feet) at the request of the Kerala Government to carry out safety repairs, after which it was suggested that the storage level could be raised to the full reservoir level of 152 feet. Meanwhile the storage levels in the new Idukki dam were not sufficient for the hydroelectric project to work to its full capacity due to insufficient inflow from its catchment areas. Security concerns regarding the downstream inhabitants prompted Kerala to backtrack on the 1970 Agreement in 2000. Another argument put forward by Kerala on the basis of a report on a study conducted state agencies [8] suggested that the loss of habitat to the fauna of Periyar National Park would occur due to flooding after the increase in the storage level.
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government had increased its withdrawal from the reservoir, with additional facilities to cater to the increased demand from newly irrigated areas. One article [9] estimates that "the crop losses to Tamil Nadu, because of the reduction in the height of the dam, between 1980 and 2005 is a whopping Rs. 40,000 crores. In the process the farmers of the erstwhile rain shadow areas in Tamil Nadu who had started a thrice yearly cropping pattern had to go back to the bi-annual cropping."
However, the Kerala Government maintains that this is not true. During the year 1979-80 the gross area cultivated in Periyar command area was 171307 acres. After the lowering of the level to 136ft, the gross irrigated area increased and in 1994-95 it reached 2,29,718 acres.
Current status
Tamil Nadu is the custodian of the dam and its surrounding areas. The Supreme Court of India has allowed for the storage level to be raised to 142 feet. [11] A recent law, promulgated by the Kerala government against increasing the storage level has not been objected [12] to by the Supreme Court[13] of India, which termed it as not unconstitutional. But so far Kerala has not objected in giving water to Tamilnadu. Their main cause of objection is the dams safety as it is as old as 110 years. Increasing the level would add more pressure to be handled by already leaking dam. Obviously no masonry dam will survive for 999 years so a new dam may replace the existing one in near future.
Latest Issue in thekkady
It is reported that about 8 cow elephants have been killed serially in the same way in Thekkady. A female elephant was floating on the surface of the Periyar lake. Dead bodies of the elephants have same kind of injury stripes. It is believed that a single male elephant is responsible for these dead elephants. It is said that a male elephant is in musth. But this is not all clear. Forest guards and Thekkady-residents are searching for that arrogant elephant. Scholars say that the world threatening global warming would be a reason for this act and the elephants are not comfortable with the environment. The sole cause would be known after the wanton elephant found.
Thekkady Hotels
The Elephant Court
This luxury resort near the Periyar sanctuary is a great vacationing getaway because of its top class facilities, fabulous landscapes, many leisure and adventure activities and The Elephant Court
Hotel Kumily Gate
Affordable and comfortable, Hotel Kumily Gate offers modern rooms, a multi cuisine restaurant, a bar and even conference facilities for its business guests. Located just outside Kumily town yet near
Aranya Niwas
Located on the banks of the Periyar, Aranya Niwas offers great accommodation and a variety of comfort, leisure and adventure facilities. The entire structure imitates the colonial style
Green Woods Resort
[Green Woods Resort Thekkady] Lush green forests, cool breeze and abundant wildlife beckon you to the Green Woods Resort, Thekkady. Treat your aesthetic senses with the breathtaking beauty of Thekkady, while your mind takes a break from the mundane.
Hotel Ambadi , Thekkady
[Hotel Ambadi in Thekkady] Hotel Ambadi - a 46 room theme resort situated at the Periyar Tiger Reserves, is one of the first private sector resorts in Kerala. Designed by the world renowned architect Mr. Lauwrie Baker, the hotel was conceptualized on the...
Hotel Michaels Inn, Thekkady
Michael's Inn - the paradise concealed within the enigmatic tea gardens. The vicinity of Periyar Wild Life Sanctuary with its chaste, green and exciting blue mountains makes it a real delightful experience.
Hotel Mount Sinai , Thekkady
Hotel Mount Sinai, provide neat bedrooms at budgeted rates and services to enrich your Eco-Holiday with quality that is vital to your valuable time. Situated in the heart of Kumily-the spice town of India, in walking distance to Thekkady.
Muthoot Cardamom County
[Muthoot Cardamom County] Thekkady, picturesquely located in Kerala's highlands, and home to the renowned Periyar Tiger Reserve, with its unspoilt tropical forests and it is incredible wealth of animal and plant life, is a naturalist's paradise.
Shalimar Spice Garden
The Shalimar Spice Garden Thekkady is located at a height of 800 meters at the edge of the Periyar Tiger Reserve.
Team Eletaria Resort,
Eletaria's accommodation has been designed to blend in with the natural contour of the surrounding terrain. At the resort (83 acres), rare type of trees, rich birdlife and spice gardens combine to create an ambience that is simply fascinating. ...
The Elephant Court, Thekkady
The Elephant Court is a resort to have the most memorable holiday of your life.
The Spice Village, Thekkady
Set amidst spice plantations, Thekkady is more known for its Periyar Wildlife Reserve. Spice Village is just a stone's throw away from the game reserve and comprises of individual cottages set amidst a landscaped spice garden.
Thekkady Wild Corridor, Thekkady
Thekkady Wild Corridor is an Eco- friendly , Elevated boutique retreat offering top of the range luxury accommodation situated on a jungle mountain slope
Thri Sangu, Thekkady
[Thri Sangu] Kuttikkanam, situated 3750 ft. above the sea level, surrounded by the western ghats, is not just a dream land but a reality.
Treetop The Hotel , Thekkady
Treetop is your dream of a holiday in an idyllic setting come true, offering you the best in terms of luxury and utility. Dine, wine, at Treetop- savour the exhilarating experience offered at its quietly comfortable spaces in.
Tuskar Resort, Thekkady
[Taj Garden Retreat] Thekkady is a tiny hamlet on the periphery of the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, in Kerala. The Sanctuary allows visitors an opportunity to view elephants, wild boar, deer and other wild animals while cruising on the Periyar Lake.
This luxury resort near the Periyar sanctuary is a great vacationing getaway because of its top class facilities, fabulous landscapes, many leisure and adventure activities and The Elephant Court
Hotel Kumily Gate
Affordable and comfortable, Hotel Kumily Gate offers modern rooms, a multi cuisine restaurant, a bar and even conference facilities for its business guests. Located just outside Kumily town yet near
Aranya Niwas
Located on the banks of the Periyar, Aranya Niwas offers great accommodation and a variety of comfort, leisure and adventure facilities. The entire structure imitates the colonial style
Green Woods Resort
[Green Woods Resort Thekkady] Lush green forests, cool breeze and abundant wildlife beckon you to the Green Woods Resort, Thekkady. Treat your aesthetic senses with the breathtaking beauty of Thekkady, while your mind takes a break from the mundane.
Hotel Ambadi , Thekkady
[Hotel Ambadi in Thekkady] Hotel Ambadi - a 46 room theme resort situated at the Periyar Tiger Reserves, is one of the first private sector resorts in Kerala. Designed by the world renowned architect Mr. Lauwrie Baker, the hotel was conceptualized on the...
Hotel Michaels Inn, Thekkady
Michael's Inn - the paradise concealed within the enigmatic tea gardens. The vicinity of Periyar Wild Life Sanctuary with its chaste, green and exciting blue mountains makes it a real delightful experience.
Hotel Mount Sinai , Thekkady
Hotel Mount Sinai, provide neat bedrooms at budgeted rates and services to enrich your Eco-Holiday with quality that is vital to your valuable time. Situated in the heart of Kumily-the spice town of India, in walking distance to Thekkady.
Muthoot Cardamom County
[Muthoot Cardamom County] Thekkady, picturesquely located in Kerala's highlands, and home to the renowned Periyar Tiger Reserve, with its unspoilt tropical forests and it is incredible wealth of animal and plant life, is a naturalist's paradise.
Shalimar Spice Garden
The Shalimar Spice Garden Thekkady is located at a height of 800 meters at the edge of the Periyar Tiger Reserve.
Team Eletaria Resort,
Eletaria's accommodation has been designed to blend in with the natural contour of the surrounding terrain. At the resort (83 acres), rare type of trees, rich birdlife and spice gardens combine to create an ambience that is simply fascinating. ...
The Elephant Court, Thekkady
The Elephant Court is a resort to have the most memorable holiday of your life.
The Spice Village, Thekkady
Set amidst spice plantations, Thekkady is more known for its Periyar Wildlife Reserve. Spice Village is just a stone's throw away from the game reserve and comprises of individual cottages set amidst a landscaped spice garden.
Thekkady Wild Corridor, Thekkady
Thekkady Wild Corridor is an Eco- friendly , Elevated boutique retreat offering top of the range luxury accommodation situated on a jungle mountain slope
Thri Sangu, Thekkady
[Thri Sangu] Kuttikkanam, situated 3750 ft. above the sea level, surrounded by the western ghats, is not just a dream land but a reality.
Treetop The Hotel , Thekkady
Treetop is your dream of a holiday in an idyllic setting come true, offering you the best in terms of luxury and utility. Dine, wine, at Treetop- savour the exhilarating experience offered at its quietly comfortable spaces in.
Tuskar Resort, Thekkady
[Taj Garden Retreat] Thekkady is a tiny hamlet on the periphery of the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, in Kerala. The Sanctuary allows visitors an opportunity to view elephants, wild boar, deer and other wild animals while cruising on the Periyar Lake.
Monday, August 10, 2009
HOW?
A visitor to mythekkady.com gets a complete access to check the deals of every tour operator, home stays, spice shops and hotels. You can inquire about the package to know the rates, availability, facilities and packages of every one of these promoters.
A client who can be a hotel, tour operator, home stay, spice shop or anyone who is into tourism related activities. Every client gets a unique page as a member which could be used at its best to promote your offers and keep updating them when necessary which would be shown to maximum no. of relevant visitors.
A client who can be a hotel, tour operator, home stay, spice shop or anyone who is into tourism related activities. Every client gets a unique page as a member which could be used at its best to promote your offers and keep updating them when necessary which would be shown to maximum no. of relevant visitors.
WHY ?
Mythekkady.com has simply gathered and organized the tourism promoters in Kerala especially in Thekkady to provide a platform for the tourism promoters including the hotels, home stays and tour operators to showcase their offers including rates, accommodation, sightseeing and adventurous trips to visitors across the globe. We do not want you to miss the best scenic beauties of Thekkady and Kerala, yet to be visible to the world of tourism. By creating such an interaction between the visitors of Thekkady and the tourism promoters in Thekkady, we make sure every unique visitor to mythekkady.com gets an ideal deal from a range of packages.
What ?
Expect to see the yet to explore tourist attractions in and around the wildlife reserve of Thekkady and Kerala. Mythekkady.com is an endeavor in the wake to make an easy access to the visitors of this unexplored wildlife reserve and the spice hub of Kerala. Find out the best packages ranging from the luxurious hotels to Kerala’s own Home stays in Thekkady. Get the most comfortable stay and sightseeing at the best rates. Know the Local Tour operators and read articles on experiences by other visitors too. Wish you a best Thekkady holidays!
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