Arittapatti Biodiversity Heritage Site is Tamil Nadu’s first biodiversity heritage site

With the Arittapatti Biodiversity Heritage Site, one more gem got added to the world of conservation. A total of 193.215 hectares of land spread across the villages of Arittapatti and Meenakshipuram in the district of Madurai in Tamil Nadu was notified as Arittapatti Biodiversity Heritage Site under the Biological Diversity Act of 2002.

Also read: All you need to know about Delhi’s biodiversity parks

With this new addition, now India has 19 biodiversity heritage sites.


What makes Arittapatti village important?
There are several attractions in Arittapatti village but the most notable geographical feature is the chain of seven barren granite hillocks. This rocky landscape surprisingly supports a total of 72 lakes, 200 natural springs and three check dams. One of these lakes, Anaikondan Lake, dates back to the 16th century Pandya kingdom.



Apart from these granite hillocks, Arittapatti Village is also home to a number of megalithic structures, rock-cut temples that are 2,200 years old, several Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions, and a very rich population and fauna and avifauna. The region has approximately 250 species of birds which includes three flagship raptor species: Laggar falcon, shaheen falcon and bonelli’s eagle. The region also has endangered animal species such as slender loris, Indian pangolin and python.

What are Biodiversity Heritage Sites?
Biodiversity heritage sites are biological areas with unique and ecologically fragile ecosystems comprising rare and threatened species. These kinds of areas are usually home to important species that are not only endemic or endangered but can also be either keystone species, flagship species or umbrella species.