Why Krishnampathi?

Why Krishnampathi?

The Greater Coimbatore area is the lucky recipient of the long-term vision of the Kongu Cholas (8^th – 9^th century CE), who during their reign created many wetlands along the Noyyal River basin. One such wetland is Krishnampathi Lake, which is situated west of Coimbatore city, in the Seeranaickenpalayam area. It lies in the middle of a four lake cluster, which are named Muthannankulam, Selvampathy, Krishnampathi and Narasampathi. These ecosystem gems are the great storehouses, where many of the marine and associated avian biodiversity have been sustained for centuries.

A United Nations report on wetlands dated 27^th of Sep 2018 also called the Ramsar convention, published by many eminent scientists in the field, states that this ecosystem, which is crucial for biodiversity is “dangerously undervalued”. They estimate that since 1900 around 64% of the world’s wetlands have vanished, due to reasons ranging from water diversion to agriculture.

The principal reason for choosing the Krishnampathi lake as a candidate for the monthly synchronised surveys is its overall biodiversity. This was clearly established over many observation sessions in the core area of the lake over a period of many years by Perur Lake Forum members such as myself (Sharang Satish), Chetankumar Joshi, Gajamohanraj and others. In addition our group has had the prior experience of conducting a Monthly Bird Survey in Perur Lake since 2014, whose two year summary published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa (https://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/article/view/3864/5986) advocated for the expansion of synchronous surveys in order to collect data of higher scientific validity.

One of the hallmarks of Krishnampathi is that it hosts numerous birds during the breeding/nesting season, which happens to be a year-round affair covering multiple species. Some notable birds that regularly breed and nest here are the Oriental Darter (Anhinga melanogaster), the Grey-headed Swamphen (Porphyrio poliocephalus), the Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus), the Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra) and the Bronze-winged Jacana (Metopidius indicus). This breeding activity by itself, among many other things, is a fine indicator of the rich resources available at the lake.

Apart from the resident species, migratory winter visitors are also aplenty at the lake. These include dabbling such as Garganey (Anas querquedula), Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeate), Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) and Eurasian Teal (Anas crecca). This lake has also provided an opportunity to study and correctly establish the identity of the previously overlooked Pin-tailed Snipe (Gallinago stenura).

The core area of the Krishnampathy lake is surrounded on its various sides by the mixed habitats which include paddyfields, thorny scrub, reed beds, undisturbed islands and bamboo woods. These habitats have played host to some rare and noteworthy vagrants such as Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus), Curlew sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea) and even Osprey (Pandion haliaetus). Its proximity to the Western Ghats has produced surprises such as Black-naped Oriole (Oriolus chinensis), Oriental Dwarf-Kingfisher (Ceyx erithaca) and Grey-fronted Green-Pigeon (Treron affinis).

To conclude, it is the aim of the survey team to thoroughly study and understand breeding patterns and bird behaviour at Krishnampathi lake over a long term horizon. We also want to understand the population variations of the winter birds and their dependance on water levels. Therefore we in Perur Lake Forum are currently conducting Monthly Bird Surveys in Perur Lake (since Apr 2014), Krishnampathy (since Jan 2019) and Kolrampathy (since Jan 2019), usually on the 2nd Saturdays of the month.The importance of synchronous wetland counts  cannot be overstated, because having a combined database of all the lakes in Coimbatore could generate much needed data for conservation of these wetlands. We also encourage other interested groups to form dedicated teams to conduct similar surveys in other wetlands so as to conserve the wetlands for the long term for benefit of future generations.

– Sharang Satish for the Krishnampathy team which includes Gajamohanraj.

8th Mar 2021

1. Parameswaran, G & Sivashankar, R (2018) The Composition and Status of Waterbirds of Perur Lake in Tamil Nadu, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 26th Oct 2018.

Addendum:

As on 11th April 2021, the Krishnampathy count has matured and fledged from Perur Lake Forum. It has achieved the status of independence.