POINT CALIMERE SANCTUARY: TAMILNADU
This rich ecosystem is situated on a promontory on the east coast of India, some
300 kin south of Madras. Stretching westwards from the promontory is the great
Vedaranyam swamp, covering nearly 25,000 ha. The Palk Strait lies to the south
and the east. Point Calimere is an interesting mix of dry and evergreen scrub
forests that separates the swamp from the main eastern seaboard. The swamp is
a sprawling area of lagoons and open mudflats, shielded by a long sand hair which
is breached by tidal channels. For nearly 60 m offshore, along the eastern coast,
the sea is shallow. Freshwater channels from the Kaveri drain into the swamp to
the north and them is a marked fall in salinity levels during the Northeast monsoon
between October and December. By end-January however, the salinity levels have
increased once again.
Point Calimere and the Vedaranyam swamp have for long been a major study site
of the BNHS Avifauna Project. While the sanctuary area is heavily grazed by livestock,
the wetlands — swamps and mangroves — are being exploited in a variety
of ways over the past couple of decades. With most of the region’s inhabitants
dependent almost completely on fisheries, there is over-explonation of fish. Trawl
fishing, in particular, has seriously depleted marine fauna. Commercial salt companies
and giant chemical plants which operate in the swamp have been a major problem,
discharging tonnes of effluents directly into the lagoon. Increasing siltation
and desiccation are proving hazardous m are the many ancillary activities of an
increasing number of humans.
Various protection measures have been initiated in this region but these scent
inadequate. An Ecological Monitoring Committee has been established by the state
government to advice on how these wetlands can be protected. A ionic hatchery
and rehabilitation centre has been set up by the Wildlife Department and just
over 1,700 ha have been declared as the Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctury though
the finest streches of the wetland swamp remain unprotected. It has been suggested
that this area be designated as a W eland of International Importance under
the Ramsar Convention.
Point Calimere is a major fishing area. Around 27 species of commercially valuable
fish, a driven species of prawns and three types of crabs are regularly harvested
here. The mangrave-estuarine, zones are vital spawning grounds for molluscs,
lobsters, fishes and prawns. It is one of the most important wintering and staging
points of waterfowl, both shorebirds and ducks. Additionally, Calimere is an
excellent feeding site for pelicans, storks, spoonbills and flamingoes both
lesser and greater. Rare waders such as the Asian dowitcher and the spoon-billed
sandpiper too, have been recorded here. It is a major area for the dugong and
is one of the breeding areas of small numbers of olive Ridleys. Several species
of sea-snakes have been identified. Interestingly, the flora of the adjoining
scrublands has close affinity with the semi-arid tracts of Rajasthan and Gujarat.