Not too long ago, Eastambaram was a vacant spot in the sub urb. In the last 10 years, however, it has become a real estate hot spot to such an extent that the city now extends seamlessly from Velachery through Pallikaranai all the way to Tambaram. Yet, even as the city grew, the forest department has beefed up protection of Nanmangalam, a reserved forest in East Tambaram.
Nanmangalam is home to several species of birds including the rare great Indian horned owl. Not just peacocks, winter migrants such as the blue-tailed bee eater and osprey have also made this 275 hectare area their second home.
There were at least half a dozen quarry sites in the wooded land. The constant truck movement, noise and dust pollution had forced many resident birds, small mammals and other reptiles to look for alternative space.
Principal chief conservator of forests and head of the forest department N Krishnakumar said the area was provided adequate protection by appointing five anti-poaching watchers. They come in shifts to patrol the forests, spread over 8 sq km. "Earlier people had easy access and they used s and they used to spoil the place by lit tering or by dumping liquor bottles. uorbottles.Now the entry has been restricted, as the entire area has been covered with a perimeter wall. This has helped more birds and other wildlife to take shelter in this green lung," he said.
Nanmangalam forest is unique, as this is the only home to the greathorned Indian owl, which has been breeding here successfully in the last three decades. No other forest near the city has attracted the attention of these beautiful nocturnal birds, Krishnakumar said.
Nature and wildlife consultant Preston Ahimaz said when he came to this forest in the 1990s he saw men cleaning trucks using stagnant water in abandoned quarries. Paramilitary forces used to undergo jungle warfare training here. The common babbler, a rare bird that had been sighted here, disappeared from Nanmangalam.
Nature Trust founder K V R K Thirunaranan, who is monitoring the breeding pairs of the great Indian horned owl at Nanmangalam, says there has been a resurgence in the population of this bird. Sometime ago peacocks started breeding here and now their population is on the rise. This indicated that the environ is well protected, says he.
Originally the area was un the control of Kancheepuramfoest division. About six month ago when the Chennai forest division was started, Nanmangalam was brought under Chennai division's control, says Krishnakumar. It is not only the bird population that is thriving but also small mammals such as the monitor lizard, the Indian jackal and the black-napped hare.
Their population is also on the rise. Recently an anti-poaching watcher reported sighting a huge monitor lizard.
Not just animals, Nanmangalam forest has been doing its bit for hu mans too by acting as a groundwater recharging unit. The residents living around this wooded area say the water level in the vicinity of Nanmangalam forest doesn't go down, even during the driest season.
A long-time resident of Santhoshapuram, S Venkatesan says: "We have never faced the problem of groundwater table depletion and water shortage."
