Activists urge action to declare Samanatham tank as bird sanctuary

Thousands of birds, including pelicans and duck species, arrive in Madurai every year, to nest in the waterbodies.

A flock of Black Winged Stilt birds were seen at samanatham kanmoi [irrigation tank] near Puliyur in Madurai. Photo | KK Sundar

MADURAI: The Samanatham tank, one of the major places in the district to receive a notable arrival of migratory birds every year, is yet to be declared as a bird sanctuary, despite the submission of a series of petitions. Owing to a variety of reasons, the proposal to declare the tank as a sanctuary, remains unaddressed.

Thousands of birds, including pelicans and duck species, arrive in Madurai every year, to nest in the waterbodies. The recent synchronised bird census reported the presence of over 150 species of birds in the district. In spite of this, the district is devoid of any wildlife parks or bird sanctuaries.

In 2024, the forest department had submitted a letter to the public works department seeking to declare Samanatham tank as a bird sanctuary. Following approval from PWD, the forest department planned to submit a proposal to the Tamil Nadu government in this regard. Despite the passing of a year, the project is still in the inter-department proposal stage.  

Speaking on the issue, N Raveendran, an environmentalist and bird researcher from Madurai, said, "Samanatham tank saw a decent arrival of duck population this year. The tank has been receiving a decent bird arrival during every migratory season. The forest department could take action towards planting more native Karuvelam trees, as the removal of Seemai Karuvelam trees during tank maintenance works in 2018 had slightly affected nesting in the tank."

He also sought action to increase greenery around the tank. Declaring the tank as a sanctuary would allow the forest department to preserve it further, he added.

A local activist, K Karthik, told TNIE that the tank receives water through the Krithumal river canal, which has been mixed with sewage water. Action should be taken towards preventing the release of sewage mixed water into the tank. Moreover, declaring the tank as a bird sanctuary could boost tourist arrival in the district, he added.