தமிழகத்தில், கடலூர் மாவட்டத்தில் அமைந்துள்ள சிதம்பரம் நகரம் வரலாற்று கட்டமைப்புகளுக்கு மட்டுமின்றி பல ஏரி-குளங்களாலும் அலங்கரிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. நம் அலட்சியத்தின் காரணமாக, இந்த ஏரி- குளங்கள் இன்று குப்பை கூடமாகவும், சீமை கருவேல மரங்கள் விளையும் இடமகாவும் மாறிவருகிறத.
E.F.I யின் அறிவியல் சார்ந்த புனரமைப்பினி மூலம், மாமங்கலம் ஏரி இன்று மறுசீரமைக்கப்பட்டு வருகிறது. வரும் பருவமழைக்கு முன்பு இந்த பணி முடிவடைந்து, பல்லுயிரினங்களுக்கு ஒரு வாழ்வாதாரமாக விளங்கும்!
The ancient town of Chidambaram in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu is blessed with a large number of lakes and ponds. This historically significant town made us explore what is no less than a lost habitat which bore the brunt of human negligence.
The Mamangalam lake situated amidst the arable lands is spread across 45 acres with extensive growth of invasive weeds like Prosopis julifora, indicating a rather low level of dissolved oxygen and depleting ground water quality.
The Prosopis julifora is also known as Seemai Karuvellam in Tamil which is mostly rooted out due to its nature of causing soil erosion and insufficient ground water in the region. But, scientifically Environmentalist Foundation of India (E.F.I) with proper field assessment identified another variety known as Vachellia nilotica (Thorny acacia or Nattu Karuvellam) which does not cause any harm and acts as an ecological niche to the organisms. Proper field study avoids displacing of species though considered harmful in a general outlook.
The restoration efforts of Environmentalist Foundation of India (E.F.I) with administrative support from the Tamil Nadu government is underway to conserve this habitat which is been lost over 20 years and exploited due to overgrown weeds and excessive silt.
The Satellite imagery is explicated for better understanding and visualization of the efforts which include demarcating the boundary of the lake, cutting the existing drain paths into canals and trenches of 3ft wide and 3ft deep to ensure the flow of water from the Palaiyamkottai lake that serves as an inlet to the Mamangalam lake and retaining the patches of Vachellia nilotica (Thorny acacia or Nattu Karuvellam) for species to boom with their resources.
After refurbishment, the Mamangalam lake will act as outlet to the oldest Veeranam Lake in Chidambaram, which serves as one of the water reservoirs from where water is supplied to Chennai city. The restored water body will be locally sensitized to control negative effects as it will facilitate in feeding 150 acres of agriculture land and their community.
The refurbishment of the waterbody will be completed before the coming monsoon and will be a livelihood for biodiversity