Berijam Lake

Berijam is located at the end of Pillar Rocks Road (old SR-18), southwest of Kodaikanal Lake. map There were two roads from Berijam, the Kodaikanal–Munnar Road to Munnar town, about west and another going to Kavunji village, north. The old roads are now overgrown with vegetation and used as walking trails by local villagers and trekkers. Encounters with wild animals including bison, elephants and leopards sometimes occur on these trails. The Tamil Nadu Forest Department has restricted entry into the Berijam Lake area to between 9.30 a.m. and 3 p.m. for the general public. Entry permits are issued at the Forestry Department Office in Kodaikanal. Only a limited number of visitors are allowed in the park each day. Beyond km marker 13 on the Berijam road there is an observation tower from where one may have a fine view of Berijam Lake and the surrounding forest. Berijam has a Forest Department Camp including an Eco-Education Center for visitors. Nature areas to be visited here include: swamp ecosystem, fresh water ecosystem, nature trail, bridge, medicinal demonstration garden, museum, nature walk, grassland and shola.(guide map) Site visits are organized for authorized researchers. Trekkers can get permission to stay overnight. There is a forest rest house with limited accommodations which serves as an overnight base camp for Forestry Department staff, researchers and trekkers. Visitors must bring their own provisions. == History ==

There was originally a swamp here known as the Berijam swamp. The previous existence here of a large lake, evidence of which was visible nearby, was first recorded in 1864 by Colonel Douglas Hamilton of the 21st Regiment of the Madras Native Infantry. No written record or even local legend regarding the existence of this ancient lake survives. However, judging from visible traces of its shoreline which still remained in 1906, it must have been nearly long, up to wide and up to deep. It was apparently formed by the side of a hill slipping down into a valley which slopes northwards, and damming up the stream which ran to the Amaravati River at the bottom of it. This stream apparently eventually cut its way through the huge natural embankment so formed, and thus emptied the lake this landslide/dam had once created. The dam was about long and the breach in it was about across and deep. In 1864, Colonel Hamilton submitted a report stating that the Berijam Lake area was the best site in the Palani Hills for a military cantonment or Sanatorium. A military outpost later built here, Fort Hamilton, was named for him. There was in fact no 'fort' at the place, only a small hut. Subsequently, the dam and reservoir were enlarged and a pipeline was built to supply drinking water to the Periyakulam Municipality. The scheme was completed in 1912 at a cost equivalent to US$138,500. Berijam Lake has been studied palynologically revealing a 20,000 years story by pollen particles deposited in lake sediments. The time span between 20,000-17,000 years before present (B.P.) experienced cold and dry climatic conditions. After this period arid oxidizing environmental conditions prevailed for a period of 2500 years. The time span between 14,500–7;000 years B.P. witnessed a climatic amelioration phase leading to a warm and humid climate. From about 7,000 years B.P. to present the area has had a cool and humid climate. == Hydrology ==

The Upper Palani Hills catchment basin drains into the Lake. Rainfall is the chief source of water into the lake. Average annual rainfall in the hill area is . The mean day temperature in the coolest months is below in the higher areas. == Flora and funga ==

Berijam is rich in flora and fauna (some are pictured in the gallery) and has a few original eco–initiatives to its credit, namely, South India's first field–oriented eco-education centre set up by the Forest Department, an exclusive medicinal plants demonstration garden spread over and a model swamp observation area created to educate the public. A rare species of free floating insectivorous bladderwort plant called utricularia australis is said to be found here. Commercial marketing of high yielding varieties of these plants is now being actively pursued. Psilocybin mushrooms which produce hallucinogenic effects when consumed, and other species of mushrooms grow around Berijam. == Fauna ==

The Upper Palni Shola forest reserve surrounding Berijam lake has a rich faunal population comprising the following. ;Avifauna • Resident birds include crested serpent eagles, pariah kites, pale-rumped swallows and the edible-nest swiftlets. • Migratory birds wintering here include the common rosefinch, the blue chat, several leaf-warblers and Blyth's reed-warbler. ;Mammals • Threatened mammals including bison, Nilgiri langur, Malabar giant squirrels and Indian elephants are seen here as well as Indian crested porcupines, wild boar, barking deer, sambar deer and mouse deer. Of the two wildlife corridors proposed for movement of Indian elephants in the Palani Hills Reserve Forest, the Berijam corridor connects to Top Station in Kerala. It is also being studied if a link corridor through the Kukkal area, could be established to the second corridor from Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park through Amaravathy and Kudhiraiyar to the Palar Dam, then up the valley almost to Ganesh Nagar, below Pethuparai village. ;Fish In 1886 there were carp in the lake. In 1914 there was a scheme to introduce trout into Berijam reservoir. == Conservation ==

;Threats The catchment basin of the lake, historically dominated by extensive shola grass lands, drains into marshes at the head of the lake. However, most of the catchment area was afforested, during the 1960s, with eucalyptus, wattle and pine. The main Berijam marsh has shrunk, as evidenced in March 2007, by walking across the marsh without getting one's feet wet. This is attributed to less water discharging into the lake. Shrinking of the lake has also been noticed with the boating dock getting shifted to deeper waters on the opposite side of the creek. These marshland invasives are accelerating the siltation process and may eventually result in necessity of raising the height of the dam to compensate for loss of storage due to siltation. Otter poaching in the Palani hills to the point of extermination has been reported. Common and small-clawed otters are trapped by tribals from the Haryana state of India, who are in Palani hills with the sole aim of collecting otter oil which is in demand in northern India. Mercury pollution was reported in Kodaikanal which affected lakes in the area. The causes, originating from a Hindustan Lever thermometer factory nearby, were reported to be dispersal of elemental mercury to the atmosphere from improper storage and dispersal from surface effluents from the factory. Apart from tests conducted on Kodaikanal lake, moss samples collected from trees surrounding the Berijam Lake, located from the factory were also tested. These showed mercury level in the range of 0.2 μg/kg. In 1902, important bauxite deposits were discovered in the hills north and south of Berijam Lake which The Geological Survey of India investigated during 1964–65. ;Remedial measures The following measures have been suggested or are under implementation by various agencies. • Plastics, smoking and consuming alcohol are prohibited at the lake area. • Promote Shola grass land afforestation in the catchment area of the lake, particularly towards Mannavanur where its absence is noticed. This remedial measure could be ecologically and biologically beneficial to restore the lake's water source. Noting the effect on the breeding of the grey–breasted laughingthrush, the Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History has recommended: • Expansion of plantations and restoration of grasslands and shola forests in the Palani hills should be halted • The larger shola forests of Kukkal and Mathikettan (Berijam) to be declared as bird sanctuaries with better protection for the proposed Palani Hills Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park. • Set up a GIS database with thematic details, including information on flora and fauna, to help monitor the globally near threatened species. • Initiate a nature education programme to highlight importance of natural vegetation in Habitat conservation of biodiversity and watershed management of Palani Hills. == Gallery ==

File:Nilgir Pipit (Anthus nilghiriensis) 18-Apr-2007 12-12-32 PM.JPG|The Nilgiri pipit (Anthus nilghiriensis), a near threatened bird species File:Little grebe.jpg|Little grebe in the lake File:White-Bellied Shortwing, northern race.jpg|The white-bellied shortwing (Brachypteryx major) File:Painted Lady I IMG 3978.jpg|Vanessa indica, butterfly File:Ficedula nigrorufa collage.jpg|Black-and-orange flycatcher, male and non-breeding female File:Strobilanths kunthiana.jpg|Kurunji flower in mountain peak of Berijam lake File:Nelumno nucifera open flower - botanic garden adelaide2.jpg|The national flower of India, Nelumbo nucifera introduced into the lake == External sources ==

• Satellite view of Berijam Lake • Photo of Berijam entrance gate from Munnar road == References ==