Pichavaram
11°25′57″N 79°46′51″E / 11.43250°N 79.78083°E
Pichavaram | |
|---|---|
Pichavaram Mangrove Forest | |
Pichavaram Pichavaram | |
| Coordinates: 11°25′N 79°47′E / 11.41°N 79.78°E | |
| Country | India |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| District | Cuddalore |
| Taluk | Bhuvanagiri |
| Town Panchayath | Parangipettai |
| Area | |
• Total | 14.79 km2 (5.71 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 6 m (20 ft) |
Pichavaram is one of the villages of Parangipettai near Chidambaram in Cuddalore District, Tamil Nadu, India.[1][2] It is located between the Vellar estuary in the north and Coleroon estuary in the south. The Vellar-Coleroon estuarine complex forms the Killai backwater and the mangroves that are permanently rooted in a few feet of water. It is located at a distance of 243 km from Chennai and 15 km from Chidambaram.
Mangrove forests
Pichavaram consists of a number of islands interspersing a vast expanse of water covered with mangrove forest.[3] The Pichavaram mangrove Forest is one of the largest mangrove forests in India covering about 45 km2 of area (as of 2019). It is separated from the Bay of Bengal by a sand bar. The biotope consists of species like Avicennia and Rhizophora. It also supports the existence of rare varieties of economically important shells and fishes.[4][5][6]
Under an initiative of the Government of Tamil Nadu aimed at reducing the impact of cyclones, tidal surges, and coastal erosion, as well as supporting biodiversity and local livelihoods, mangroves have been planted in the Cuddlore district along with nine other districts. According to official statistics, more than 2,900 ha (29 km2) of mangrove forests have been planted or restored from 2021 to 2025 under this programme.[7][8]
Fauna
The mangroves also attract migrant and local birds including snipes, cormorants, egrets, storks, herons, spoonbills and pelicans. About 177 species of birds belonging to 15 orders and 41 families have been recorded. The high population of birds could be seen from November to January due to the high availability of prey, the coincidence of the time of arrival of true migrants from foreign countries and local migrants from their breeding grounds across India. The availability of different habitat types such as channels, creeks, gullies, mudflats and sand flats and adjacent seashore offers ideal habitats for different species of birds and animals.
Gallery
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Mangroves of Pichavaram
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Mangroves canopy
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Aerial roots of Mangroves
References
- ^ "UNESCO list".
- ^ "Mangrove forests". Archived from the original on 2009-12-10. Retrieved 2014-08-04.
- ^ "Pichavaram Mangrove". Tamil Nadu Wetlands Mission. Archived from the original on 2025-01-19. Retrieved 2024-03-04.
- ^ "Mangroves of INDIA". Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.
- ^ "Top 5 Largest Mangrove and Swamp Forest in India". Archived from the original on 2022-08-16. Retrieved 2019-07-06.
- ^ "Wayback Machine" (PDF). rsis.ramsar.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2023-04-24. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
{{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help) - ^ "Tamil Nadu adds over 2,400 hectares of mangrove cover in four years". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
- ^ "World Mangrove Day: Tamil Nadu's renewed efforts add nearly 3,000 hectares of mangroves in three years". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 2025-07-26. Retrieved 2025-11-19.