Both a local committee and a state-level Biosphere Management Committee were constituted in accordance with the Government of India (GOI) guidelines for the coordination of various department activities in the B.R. area and for ensuring the scientific management of the B.R.
The Agasthyavanam Project
In 1992, the Government of Kerala created a scientific committee to study the feasibility of setting up a biological park in the highly degraded forest area of Kottoor at Kuttichal Panchiyat. The committee suggested that the ultimate objective of the endeavor be to regenerate, conserve, and propagate selected wild flora and fauna. The area earmarked for the project had a negligible tree and animal population despite its abundant water resources, its fertile soil and favorable climate.
The Kottoor reserve forests lie in the Paruthipalli range of the Trivandrum forest division which itself lies on the western slopes of the Western Ghats, at the southeast corner in Nedumangad Taluk in Kuttichal Panchayat. It is contiguous with the Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary on the southwest borders and the Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary in the northeast. However, it was not included in any of these existing sanctuaries due to its high level of degradation.
The Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve is located in the southernmost end of the Western Ghats and incorporates peaks rising 1,868 m (6,129 ft) above sea level. It covers 3,500 km and encompasses tropical forest ecosystems that fall within the Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts of Tamil Nadu and the Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts of Kerala.
The total estimated area of the park is 23 km2 (8.9 sq mi). Of this, 17.5 km2 (6.8 sq mi) is to be converted to thick jungle, while the rest is for manipulative conservation programs. Conservatories will be established for a variety of plant species and for the reintroduction, production, breeding, and propagation of wild animals and birds.
In spite of the good rainfall received, the quick drainage of water from the area to the Arabian Sea leaves the place barren for around six months of the year. Small check dams, if built, can retain water in small ponds and preserve the humidity and moisture, promoting vegetation growth in the dry season. Through its full implementation the Agasthyavanam Project is expected to promote ecotourism, afforestation, and conservation.
