The Kazhuveli wetland situated in Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu has been declared as the 16th Bird Sanctuary by Surpiya Sahu, Environment and Forest Secretary, at the Minister of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
- The declaration was made under subsection (1) of section 18 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
- The Kazhuveli wetlands is referred to as the 2nd largest Brackish Water Lake in South India, only after Pulicat lake.
i.The recognition was first proposed by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and Chief WildLife Warden, Shekar Kumar Niraj.
About Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary:
i.It covers 5,151.60 hectares of land in Vanur taluk and 3,027.25 hectares in Marakkanam taluks.
- The sanctuary lies adjacent to the Bay of Bengal along the East coast of Tamil Nadu.
- Kazhuveli is a wetland of international importance that is spread over 670 square km in the east coast of Tamil Nadu.
Note- Southern part of the wetland was declared a reserved land in the year 2001.
ii.The Sanctuary covers 13 villages in Villupuram district.
iii.The place is home to a diverse species of flora and fauna, giving accommodation to long-distance migrant birds from Central Asia and Siberia.
Popular Bird Sanctuary of Tamil Nadu:
- Karaivetti Birds Sanctuary,
- Sakkarakottai Tank Bird Sanctuary,
- Theerthangal Bird Sanctuary,
- Melaselvanur-Keelaselvanur Bird Sanctuary,
- Vaduvoor birds Sanctuary.
About Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972:
The Act was enacted for the protection of plants and animal species.
- Prior to this legislation, India had only five designated national parks.
- At present, there are 106 National Parks in India.
Authorities Appointed under the Act:
i.The Central Government appoints the Director of Wildlife Preservation and assistant directors and other officers subordinate to the Director.
ii.The State Governments appoint a Chief Wildlife Warden (CWLW) who heads the Wildlife Wing of the department and exercises complete administrative control over Protected Areas (PAs) within a state.
iii.The state governments are also entitled to appoint Wildlife Wardens in each district.
About Tamil Nadu:
Wildlife Sanctuary- Gangaikondan Spotted Deer Sanctuary, Cauvery North Wildlife Sanctuary, Nellai Wildlife Sanctuary
Festival– Chithirai Thiruvizha, Karthigai Deepam
