CHENNAI: This year monsoon has failed over Western Ghats and it’s clearly visible to the naked eye, if one drives through contiguous forests of Bandipur National Park in Karnataka and Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) in Tamil Nadu, one of the pristine habitats with high tiger density in the country.
The soil is bone dry, grasses depleted and the mountains are painted brown with skeleton trees. This was telling on animal health, especially the herbivores. While water is still available in the forest streams and field managers are supporting wildlife by building additional water troughs, there is a deficit of fodder with invasives taking over the open grasslands.
The New Indian Express visited Manradiar Avenue in MTR buffer. The only tree that was thriving and green was Senna spectabilis, the alien invasive species. While the Lantana camara, the most problematic invasive species, was taking over the open grasslands, the Senna with its deep root system depletes the groundwater and gives little chance for native vegetation to grow.
Manradiar is one of the critical habitats in MTR with rich animal and plant biodiversity. It’s an important migratory route for elephants (part of Sigur elephant corridor) moving from Bandipur-Nagarhole forests in Karnataka to Wayanad in Kerala. It is home to six tigers, besides carrying a healthy population of black panthers, slot bears and herds of sambar and spotted deer. The area has varied forest types from evergreen, moist deciduous, dry deciduous, riverine forest and bamboo thickets.
However, during the past few decades, the habitat got compromised due to uncontrollable invasions.
TN fighting back
Although removal of invasives and restoring the forest back to its original shape is an uphill task and many countries tried and failed, the Tamil Nadu government with its unique approach and on-ground pilot scale experiments has begun to taste success.
Morganbetta and Karadibetta in Manradiar, where Lantana and Senna removal and area maintenance is undertaken, is showing results and native vegetation is taking over. This reporter went along with anti-poaching watchers to see these areas, where labourers were cutting and removing tonnes of Senna under close supervision.
P Arunkumar, deputy director, MTR (Buffer), told TNIE: “Earlier, there was less wildlife movement in these areas, but now the area is buzzing with animal biodiversity. Life is slowly returning. But, we need to maintain the landscape for at least 2-3 years to effect permanent change. Despite all our efforts, fresh Senna shoots are emerging from the deep roots. So, maintenance is key.”
Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Climate Change and Forests Department, told TNIE: “Chief Minister M K Stalin had made removal of invasives a priority area and Tamil Nadu is the first state to have a dedicated invasive species removal policy. So far, we have removed invasives from 5,203 hectares spending close to Rs 27 crore.”
Way forward
Sahu said the government was adopting a unique and first-its-kind approach to deal with this monster problem. Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Limited (TNPL) has been roped in to remove the invasive trees and use the wood for manufacturing paper.
TNPL is carrying out the removal of Senna spectabilis since last year in the Nilgiris biosphere areas by paying conservation charges of `350 per metric tonne, which will be utilised for eco-restoration of the habitat.
Mudumalai Tiger Reserve and Sathyamangalam Tiger reserve were assessed for the availability of pulpwood and it was estimated that around 16,000 MT from MTR and 9,000 MT from STR pulpwood was available for harvest.
“So far, TNPL has harvested and transported 24,000 MT of Senna pulpwood from MTR and STR combined from 700 hectares. This is a beautiful case of a circular economy, which is sustainable. Otherwise, disposal of Senna logs would have been a huge challenge in itself,” Sahu told TNIE.
Likewise, she said the government was in touch with Dalmia Cement and Ramco Cement to explore whether Lantana can be used as bio-fuel in their furnaces. “A team is visiting shortly to study the possibility.”
In tea factories, Prosopis juliflora, another problematic invasive species whose calorific value is high compared to Lantana, is being used as bio-fuel for furnaces.
‘Grass man of India’ roped-in for restoration
Gajanan D Muratkar, popularly known as the ‘grass man of India’ for his pioneering work in habitat and meadow development, has been roped-in for the restoration of open grasslands that were invaded by invasives in the MTR.
Muratkar, who is the advisor for 42 tiger reserves in the country, told TNIE Mudumalai has close to 100 species of grasses. “Its carrying capacity of grasslands, utility index of grass, share of perennial and palatable soft grasses is higher compared to many other tiger reserves. We have prepared a five-year vision document for MTR for grasslands restoration. Invasives should be removed twice in a year, once in August-September and again in January-February for better results. We will be visiting again in two months’ time.”
