Nature tweets from Sandur

Bird paradise Though illegal mining has left an irreparable impact on the ecosystem, Sandur valley has retained a character of wilderness. Samad Kottur describes the significance of this biodiversity hotspot, a preferred destination of nature enthusiasts.

For people in the rest of Karnataka, the name Ballari evokes memories of illegal mining, hot summer and drought. Rich deposit of minerals proved fatal to the ecosystem destroying its flora and fauna. Undeterred extraction of iron and manganese ore had scarred the beauty of the district in the past decade. The 48-kilometre stretch of Sandur valley, the biodiversity hotspot of the district, gives a brief picture of what has been lost in the process.

The valley that starts from Tungabhadra dam in Hosapete taluk to Swamihalli in Sandur taluk plays a vital role in deciding the climate of this region. The thick deciduous forest in the plains and on the spindle-shaped hill range is distinctly cut out from the rest of the ecosystem in the entire plains of Deccan Plateau of North Eastern Karnataka. High altitude of Sandur influences the distribution of flora and fauna of this region.

Historically, Sandur is famous for a 8th Century Parvathi Temple built by Badami Chalukyas and a 10th Century Kumaraswamy Temple built by Rashtrakutas on the hills of Swamimalai forest at an altitude of 900 metres above the MSL. It is mentioned as Skandadri in Skandapurana. The oval-shaped valley has innumerable natural water springs and water reserves. Narihalla is the lifeline of Sandur that ends in a dam built near Taranagara. Tigers roamed in Sandur till the 1960s, feeding on the herds of chikaras and sambars. Now Sandur valley has leopards, sloth bears, muntjac, four-horned antelopes, wolves and jackals among other animals. A part of Daroji Bear Sanctuary is in Sandur taluk.

Avian wonders

Sandur valley is the migratory home to a wide variety of birds. Apart from the common birds of north-eastern plains of Karnataka, birds that can be seen in the Western Ghats like Red spurfowl, Puff-throated babbler, White-throated fantail, Spotted dove, Red-whiskered bulbul, Oriental white-eye, Brown-headed barbet are also found here. Winter visitors like, Blue-capped rock thrush, Tickell’s blue Flycatcher, Verditer flycatcher, Red-breasted flycatcher are seen in and around greenery. Some birds can be seen only in Sandur in the entire north-eastern plains of Karnataka.

A fortunate person will get the most thrilling sight of  the Yellow-throated bulbul (Pycnonotus xantholaemus), a rare bird seen in the rocky scrub jungles of Hampi and in Daroji Bear Sanctuary.

The bird is listed as “vulnerable” in the Red Data Book of International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN). As many as 200 resident and migratory birds, are among  the many attractions the region has in its store for nature enthusiasts.

A number of British officers spent their leisure time here, watching birds and documenting them. After independence,
M Krishnan, one of the finest naturalists of India, identified and documented birds of Sandur in his writings.

In 1973, Kumar Ghorpade, an entomologist at University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru, published an article titled Preliminary notes on the Ornithology of Sandur, Karnataka in the journal of Bombay Natural History Society. He listed about 166 species of birds including Ultramarine flycatcher, Grey-headed canary flycatcher, Vernal hanging parrot, Crested treeswift. He also mentioned Red-headed vulture, White-rumped vulture, Egyptian vulture which have now become extinct in this area. 

Birds are seen everywhere, yet there are some areas where one can observe activities of birds closely. Some of the areas for birding are Ramgada Hill, medicinal plants conservation area near Gandi Narasimhaswamy gorge, Nandihalli Postgraduate Centre, Harishankara natural water spring, Kumaraswamy Temple, Devagiri, National Mineral Development Corporation forest area, Donimalai township, Narihalla dam and Daroji lake.

A long way to go

Decades of unethical ravage on Sandur forest in the name of mining had a devastating impact on the ecology of this region. Earlier to this, visitors compared the beauty of this bird’s paradise with that of Kashmir.

Pause of mining in the last four years helped the ecosystem to regain its vitality gradually. Some mining companies have initiated “strengthening and restoration of waste dumps”, on which first succession plants like, grass, herbs and shrubs are growing. If properly taken forward, this could be the first step in the long journey to regain lost diversity.

While no birds or animals are seen in the mining areas, birds have flourished in the adjoining forests. For instance, surroundings of the ancient Srirama Temple, which was a victim of extreme mining, has less number of birds; whereas, the adjoining untouched forest has a contrasting habitat. There is an urgent need to accelerate conservation of the forest between Kumara Rama temple and medicinal plants conservation area. Such other places for conservation are, MLC area Yeshwanthnagar, Nandihalli, Harishankara, Kumaraswamy Temple and forest inside NMDC lease area. There is an urgent need to protect pockets of remaining habitat for the survival of distinct flora and fauna of Sandur. A drive through Ramgada and Kumaraswamy Temple during monsoon gives everyone a feeling of Western Ghats. The thriving population of avifauna convey the message of positive strides in the region.

The Sandur saga triggers the thoughts of costs of development while pressing the need for inclusive growth and greater common good.