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Silent Valley National Park

Silent Valley National Park is a national park in Kerala, India. It is located in the Nilgiri hills and has a core area of 89.52 km2 (34.56 sq mi). It is surrounded by a buffer zone of 148 km2 (57 sq mi). This national park has some rare species of flora and fauna. Silent Valley National Park was explored in 1847 by the botanist Robert Wight.[2] It is located in the border of Mannarkkad Taluk of Palakkad district, Nilambur Taluk of Malappuram district, Kerala, and Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu.

Silent Valley National Park
Malayalam: സൈലന്‍റ് വാലീ നാഷണല്‍ പാര്‍ക്ക്
The Nilgiri Mountains as seen from Silent Valley National Park
Location in Kerala, India
LocationKerala
Nearest cityMannarkkad
Coordinates11°08′N 76°28′E / 11.133°N 76.467°E / 11.133; 76.467Coordinates: 11°08′N 76°28′E / 11.133°N 76.467°E / 11.133; 76.467
Area89.52 km2 (34.56 sq mi)
Established26 December 1984
Governing bodyDepartment of Forests and Wildlife (Kerala)

It is located in the rich biodiversity of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. The Karimpuzha Wildlife Sanctuary, New Amarambalam Reserved Forest, Nedumkayam Rainforest in Nilambur Taluk of Malappuram district, Attappadi Reserved Forest in Mannarkkad Taluk of Palakkad district, and Mukurthi National Park of Nilgiris district are located around Silent Valley National Park. Mukurthi peak, the fifth-highest peak in South India, and Anginda peak are also located in its vicinity. The Bhavani River, a tributary of the Kaveri River, and Kunthipuzha River, a tributary of Bharathappuzha river, originate in the vicinity of Silent Valley. The Kadalundi River also originates in Silent Valley National Park.

The national park is one of the last undisturbed tracts of South Western Ghats mountain rain forests and tropical moist evergreen forest in India. Contiguous with the proposed Karimpuzha National Park (225 km2 (87 sq mi)) to the north and Mukurthi National Park (78.46 km2) to the north-east, it is the core of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (1,455.4 km2), and is part of the Nilgiri Sub-Cluster (6,000+ km2), Western Ghats World Heritage Site, recognised by UNESCO in 2007.[3]

Plans for a hydroelectric project that threatened the park's biodiversity stimulated an environmentalist social movement in the 1970s, known as the Save Silent Valley movement, which resulted in cancelling the project and creating the park in 1980. The visitors' centre for the park is at Sairandhri.

History

 
Map of Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve, showing Silent Valley National Park in relation to multiple contiguous protected areas

The first Western investigation of the watersheds of the Silent Valley area was in 1857 by the botanist Robert Wight.[2] The British named the area Silent Valley because of a perceived absence of noisy cicadas. Another story attributes the name to the anglicisation of Sairandhri. A third story refers to the presence of many lion-tailed macaques Macaca silenus.[4] In 1914, the forest of the Silent Valley area was declared a reserve forest. Between 1927 and 1976, portions of the Silent Valley forest area were subjected to forestry operations. In 1928, the location on the Kunthipuzha River at Sairandhri was identified as an ideal site for electricity generation, and in 1958 a study and survey of the area was conducted and a hydroelectric project of 120 MV costing Rs. 17 crore was proposed by the Kerala State Electricity Board.[5]

Environmental concerns

Silent Valley is home to the largest population of lion-tailed macaques, an endangered species of primate. Public controversy over their habitat led to the establishment of Silent Valley National Park.

In 1973 the valley became the focus of "Save Silent Valley", India's fiercest environmental movement of the decade, when the Kerala State Electricity Board decided to implement the Silent Valley Hydro-Electric Project (SVHEP) centered on a dam across the Kunthipuzha River. The resulting reservoir would flood 8.3 km2 of virgin rainforest and threaten the lion-tailed macaque. In 1976 the Kerala State Electricity Board announced plans to begin dam construction and the issue was brought to public attention. Romulus Whitaker, founder of the Madras Snake Park and the Madras Crocodile Bank, was probably the first person to draw public attention to the small and remote area.[6]

On 7 September 1985 the Silent Valley National Park was formally inaugurated and a memorial at Sairandhri to Indira Gandhi was unveiled by Rajiv Gandhi, her son and the next Prime Minister. On 1 September 1986 Silent Valley National Park was designated as the core area of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Since then, a long-term conservation effort has been undertaken to preserve the Silent Valley ecosystem.[5]

In 2001 a new hydro project was proposed and the "Man vs. Monkey debate" was revived. The proposed site of the dam (64.5 m high and 275 m long) is just 3.5 km downstream of the old dam site at Sairandhiri, 500 m outside the National Park boundary.[7] The Kerala Minister for Electricity called The Pathrakkadavu dam (PHEP) an "eco-friendly alternative" to the old Silent Valley project. The claim was that the submergence area of the PHEP would be a negligible .041 km2 compared to 8.30 km2 submergence of the 1970s (SVHEP).[8] From January to May 2003, a rapid Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was carried out. On 15 November, Minister for Forest Binoy Viswam said that the proposed buffer zone for Silent Valley would be declared soon.[9]

On 21 February 2007 ex-Chief Minister A. K. Antony told reporters after a cabinet meeting that "when the Silent Valley proposal was dropped, the centre had promised to give clearance to the Pooyamkutty project. This promise, however, had not been honoured. The Kerala government has not taken any decision on reviving the Silent Valley Hydel Project".[10]

On 18 April 2007, Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan and his cabinet approved the Pathrakkadavu Hydro-electric project and sent it to the Union Government for environmental approval.[11][12]

 
Map of Silent Valley NP

Buffer zone

Territorial forests located around the national park have been subject to a working-plan to accomplish revenue oriented objectives such as extraction of bamboo and reed which affect the long-term conservation of the park.[citation needed] In addition, illegal activities such as ganja (Cannabis sativa) cultivation has caused habitat degradation.[13]

On 21 November 2009, Union Minister of Forest and Environment Jairam Ramesh and Kerala Forest Minister Binoy Viswam declared, while inaugurating the silver jubilee celebration of Silent Valley National Park in Palakkad, that the buffer zone of the Park would be made an integral part of it in order to ensure better protection of the area.[14]

On 6 June 2007 the Kerala cabinet approved the buffer zone proposal. The new 147.22 km2 zone will include 80.75 km2 taken from Attapady Forest Range, 27.09 km2 from Mannarkkad Forest Range and 39.38 km2 from Kalikavu Forest Range and consolidated to form a new range, Bhavani Forest Range, of 94 km2 and 54 km2 would be brought under the existing Silent Valley Range of the National Park. The Cabinet also sanctioned 35 staff to protect the area and two new forest stations in Bhavani range at Anavai and Thudukki. Forest Minister Benoy Viswom said "the zone would have reserve forest status and tribals in the area would not be affected. The decision reaffirmed the commitment of the LDF Government to protection of environment. The zone is a necessity, not just of the State but also of the nation."[15]

The proposal was then sent to Kerala Minister for Electricity, A. K. Balan, who has voiced the need for setting up the Pathrakadavu hydroelectric project in the proposed southwest buffer zone of the National Park, the Thenkara Range of the Mannarkkad Forest Division. As of 9 May 2007 Balan has not given his opinion on the buffer zone proposal.[16]

In August 2006, the new Minister for Forests, Benoy Viswam, approved a proposal from the Conservator of Forests for a 148 km2 buffer zone around the core area of the park. The proposal says: "It is felt absolutely essential that an effective buffer of forests should be immediately formed around the national park in order to save the world famous Silent Valley National Park from all potential dangers. This can only be achieved by bringing the management of Silent Valley National Park as well as the proposed buffer zone under one management umbrella to insulate the park from all possible dangers." The proposed buffer zone will have 94 km2 in Attappady Reserve Forest east of the Kunthipuzha and 54 km2 taken from the Mannarkaad range and Nilambur south division west of the river.

In January 2006, the former Kerala Minister for Forest and Environment, A. Sujanapal, said the Government would consider the demand for a 600 km2 buffer zone for Silent Valley National Park made by Bharathapuzha Protection Committee, Malampuzha Protection Committee, One Earth One Life and Jana Jagratha. A buffer zone proposal was made in the 1986 park management plan but not implemented.[17]

In 1979, M.S. Swaminathan, then Secretary to the Department of Agriculture, visited the Silent Valley area and suggested that 389.52 km2 including the Silent Valley (89.52 km2), New Amarambalam (80 km2), Attappadi (120 km2) in Kerala and Kunda in Coimbatore (100 km2) reserve forests, should be developed into a National Rainforest Biosphere Reserve.[18]

On 27 October 2020 draft notification was made by Govt. of India for the area around the National park declaring it as eco sensitive zone.[19]

Geography

 
Hanging Bridge across the Kuntipuzha River – Silent Valley National Park (SVNP)
 
Silent Valley National Park
Topography 1:250,000., 1959'.

Silent Valley is rectangular, twelve kilometres from north to south and seven from east to west. Located between 11°03' to 11°13' N (latitude) and 76°21' to 76°35' E (longitude) it is separated from the eastern and northern high altitude plateaus of the (Nilgiris Mountains) by high continuous ridges including Sispara Peak (2,206 m) at the north end of the park. The park gradually slopes southward down to the Palakkad plains and to the west it is bounded by irregular ridges. The altitude varies from 658 m to 2328 m at Anginda Peak, but most of the park lies within the altitude range of 880 m to 1200 m. Soils are blackish and slightly acidic in evergreen forests where there is good accumulation of organic matter. The underlying rock in the area is granite with schists and gneiss, which give rise to the loamy laterite soils on slopes.[20]

Rivers

The Kunthipuzha River drains the entire 15 km length of the park from north to south into the Bharathapuzha River. Kunthipuzha River divides the park into a narrow eastern sector of width 2 kilometers and a wide western sector of 5 kilometers. The river is characterized by its crystal clear water and perennial nature. The main tributaries of the river, Kunthancholapuzha, Karingathodu, Madrimaranthodu, Valiaparathodu and Kummaathanthodu originate on the upper slopes of the eastern side of the valley. The river is uniformly shallow, with no flood plains or meanders. Its bed falls from 1,861 m to 900 m over a distance of 12 km, the last 8 km being particularly level with a fall of only 60 m. Kunthipuzha is one of the less torrential rivers of the Western Ghats, with a pesticide-free catchment area.[21]

Climate

 
Silent Valley from JPL Map server.

Silent Valley gets copious amounts of rainfall during the monsoons, but the actual amount varies within the region due to the varied topography. In general, rainfall is higher at higher altitudes and decreases from the west to the east due to the rain shadow effect. Eighty per cent of the rainfall occurs during the south-west monsoon between June and September. The park also receives a significant amount of rainfall during the north-east monsoon between October and November.[22]

The park being completely enclosed within a ring of hills, has its own micro-climate and probably receives some convectional rainfall, in addition to rain from the two monsoons. In the remaining months, condensation on vegetation of mist shrouding the valley is estimated to yield 15 per cent of the total water generated in the rainforest.[23]

In 2006, the Walakkad area of the park received the highest ever annual rainfall of 9,569.6 mm. In 2000, the figure was 7,788 mm; in 2001, 8,351.9 mm; in 2004, 8465.3 mm; and in 2005, 9,347.8 mm. The annual rainfall received in the valley (at Sairandhri?) was 7,788.8 mm in 2000; 8,361.9 mm in 2001. In 2002, 4,262.5 mm; in 2003, 3,499.65 mm; in 2004, 6,521.27 mm, in 2005, 6,919.38 mm; in 2006, 6,845.05 mm; in 2007, 6,009.35 mm; and in 2008 it was 4386.5 mm. The figure till October 2009 was 5,477.4 mm. Average annual rainfall in the park between 2000 and 2008 was thus 6,066 mm.[14]

The mean annual temperature is 20.2 °C. The hottest months are April and May when the mean temperature is 23 °C and the coolest months are January and February when the mean temperature is 18 °C. Because of the high rainfall, the relative humidity is consistently high (above 95%) between June and December.[21]

Indigenous people

There is no record of the valley ever having been settled, but the Mudugar and Irula tribal people are indigenous to the area and do live in the adjacent valley of Attappady Reserved Forest.[24][25] Also, the Kurumbar people live in the highest range outside the park bordering on the Nilgiris.[26]

Many of the Mudugar, Irula and Kurumbar now work as day labourers and porters. Some work for the Forest Department in the park as forest guards and visitor guides.[citation needed] 16 out of 21 tribal colonies in the Attappady range cultivate marijuana. Many Mudugar are in abject poverty and easily recruited by the so-called ganja mafia. In 2006, it was planned to employ 50 additional men from the 21 tribal settlements as forest guards.[13]

Flora and fauna

The valley areas of the park are in a Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests Ecoregion. Hilly areas above 1,000 m are in the South Western Ghats montane rain forests region. Above 1,500 m, the evergreen forests begin to give way to stunted forests, called sholas, interspersed with open grassland, both of which are of interest to ecologists as the rich biodiversity here has never been disturbed by human settlements. Several threatened species are endemic here. New plant and animal species are often discovered here.[21]

Fauna

Birds

Birdlife International lists 16 bird species in Silent Valley as threatened or restricted:- Nilgiri wood-pigeon, Malabar parakeet, Malabar grey hornbill, white-bellied treepie, grey-headed bulbul, broad-tailed grassbird, rufous babbler, Wynaad laughing thrush, Nilgiri laughing thrush, Nilgiri blue robin, black-and-rufous flycatcher, Nilgiri flycatcher, white-bellied blue-flycatcher, crimson-backed sunbird and Nilgiri pipit.[27]

Rare bird species found here include the Ceylon frogmouth and great Indian hornbill. The 2006 winter bird survey discovered the long-legged buzzard, a new species of raptor at Sispara, the park's highest peak. The survey found 10 endangered species recorded in the IUCN Red List including the red winged crested cuckoo, Malabar pied hornbill and pale harrier. The area is home to 15 endemic species including the black-and-orange flycatcher. It recorded 138 species of birds including 17 species that were newly observed in the Silent Valley area. The most abundant bird was the black bulbul.[28]

Mammals

 
Nilgiri langur

There are at least 34 species of mammals at Silent Valley including the threatened lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri langur, Malabar giant squirrel, Nilgiri tahr, Peshwa's bat (Myotis peshwa) and hairy-winged bat. There are nine species of bats, rats and mice.[29]

Distribution and demography of all diurnal primates were studied in Silent Valley National Park and adjacent areas for a period of three years from 1993 to 1996. Fourteen troops of lion-tailed macaque, eighty-five troops of Nilgiri langur, fifteen troops of bonnet macaque and seven troops of Hanuman langur were observed. Of these, the Nilgiri langur was randomly distributed, whereas the lion-tailed macaque troops were confined to the southern sector of the Park. Bonnet macaques and Hanuman langurs were occasional visitors. The Silent Valley forest remains one of the most undisturbed viable habitats left for the endemic and endangered primates lion-tailed macaque and Nilgiri langur.[30]

Tiger, leopard, leopard cat, jungle cat, common palm civet, small Indian civet, brown palm civet, ruddy mongoose, stripe-necked mongoose, dhole, clawless otter, sloth bear, small Travancore flying squirrel, Indian pangolin (scaly anteater), porcupine, wild boar, sambar, spotted deer, barking deer, mouse deer, elephant and gaur also live here.[citation needed]

Insects

There are at least 730 identified species of insects in the park. The maximum number of species belong to the orders Lepidoptera and Coleoptera. Many unclassified species have been collected and there is a need for further studies.[31]

33 species of crickets and grasshoppers have been recorded of which one was new. 41 species of true bugs (eight new) have been recorded. 128 species of beetles including 10 new species have been recorded.[32]

Over 128 species of butterflies and 400 species of moths live here. A 1993 study found butterflies belonging to 9 families. The families Nymphalidae and Papilionidae contained the maximum number of species. 13 species were endemic to South India, including 5 species having protected status.[33] Seven species of butterflies were observed migrating in a mixed swarm of thousands of butterflies towards the Silent Valley National Park. In one instance an observer noted several birds attempting to catch these butterflies.[34]

A survey jointly conducted by Indian Dragonfly Society and the Forest and Wildlife Department in September 2018 in the buffer zone of the Silent Valley National Park found 82 species of odonata. The species found include Indosticta deccanensis, Burmagomphus laidlawi, Microgomphus souteri, Onychogomphus nilgiriensis, Euphaea dispar, Idionyx travancorensis, Megalogomphus hannyngtoni and Lestes dorothea.[35]

Other

 
Silent Valley Bush Frog, Raorchestes silentvalley

At least 500 species of earthworms and leeches have also been identified in the park.[29]

The Silent Valley Bush Frog, Raorchestes silentvalley, first described in 2016, is named after the park.[36]

Flora

The flora of the valley include about a 1000 species of flowering plants, 108 species of orchids, 100 ferns and fern allies, 200 liverworts, 75 lichens and about 200 algae. A majority of these plants are endemic to the Western Ghats.[37]

 
Senecio neelgherryanus in Silent Valley
 
Tailed jay nectoring on a daisy

Flowering plants

Angiosperm flora currently identified here include 966 species belonging to 134 families and 599 genera. There are 701 Dicotyledons distributed among 113 families and 420 genera. There are 265 Monocotyledons here distributed among 21 families and 139 genera. Families best represented are the Orchids with 108 species including the rare, endemic and highly endangered orchids Ipsea malabarica, Bulbophyllum silentvalliensis and Eria tiagii, Grasses (56), Legumes (55), Rubiaceae (49) and Asters (45). There are many rare, endemic and economically valuable species, such as cardamom Ellettaria cardamomum, black pepper Piper nigrum, yams Dioscorea spp., beans Phaseolus sp., a pest-resistant strain of rice Oryza Pittambi, and 110 plant species of importance in Ayurvedic medicine.[38] Seven new plant species have been recorded from Silent Valley, including in 1996, Impatiens sivarajanii, a new species of Balsaminaceae.[39]

Trees

Occurrence of lion-tailed macaque is dependent on the flowering of Cullenia exarillata in the forest.[40]

Six distinct tree associations[clarification needed] have been described in the valley. Three are restricted to the southern sector:

  1. Cullenia exarillata and Palaquium ellipticum
  2. Palaquium ellipticum and Mesua ferrea (Indian rose chestnut)
  3. Mesua ferrea and Calophyllum elatum

The remainder are confined to the central and northern parts of the park:

  1. Palaquium ellipticum and Poeciloneuron indicum
  2. Calophyllum elatum and Ochlandra species
  3. Poeciloneuron indicum and Ochlandra species[41]

A study of natural regeneration of 12 important tree species of Silent Valley tropical rain forests showed good natural regeneration of all 12 species. The species studied were Palaquium ellipticum, Cullenia exarillata, Poeciloneuron indicum, Myristica dactyloides, Elaeocarpus glandulosus, Litsea floribunda, Mesua nagassarium, Cinnamomum malabatrum, Agrostistachys meeboldii, Calophyllum polyanthum, Garcinia morella and Actinodaphne campanulata.[42]

In 2001 selective felling of three trees per acre led to the cutting of 48,000 m3 of timber from about 20 km2.[43]

Genetic resources

Throughout human history about 10% of the genetic stock found in the wild has been bred into palatable and higher yielding cereals, fruits and vegetables. Future food security depends on the preservation of the remaining 90% of the stock through protection of high biodiversity habitats like Silent valley.[44]

The National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources of ICAR (India), Plant Exploration and Collection Division[45] has identified Silent Valley as high in bio-diversity and an important Gene Pool resource for Recombinant DNA innovations. An important example of use of wild germplasm is gene selection from the wild varieties of rice Oryza nivara (Central India) and Oryza Pittambi found in Silent Valley for the traits of broad spectrum disease resistance in high yielding hybrid rice varieties including IR-36, which are responsible for much of the Green Revolution throughout Asia.[46]

Also, genetic evaluation of plant growth promoting Rhizobacteria obtained from Silent Valley indicated that strain, IISR 331, could increase the growth of black pepper cuttings by 228% and showed 82.7% inhibition of the common plant wilting disease Phytopthora capsici in laboratory tests (in vitro).[47]

Challenges

Forest fire

Fire is one of the major threats facing forests in Kerala. People engaged in grazing livestock often burn an area to get fresh grass shoots for their cattle, especially during dry season when fire danger is greatest. Also, illicit activities like ganja cultivation, poaching, tree felling, non timber forest products (NTFP) collection and very often careless tourists and pilgrims are responsible for big forest fires.[48]

Cannabis cultivation

Silent Valley is home to some of India's largest illegal plantations of cannabis.[49] Cannabis is one of the traditional plantations in these forests and there are people who depend on 'Ganja economy' for a livelihood.[50] Tribes like Irula, Muduga and Kurumba (particularly the last one) have always grown cannabis in their history.[51] The seedless variety of cannabis cultivated in Silent Valley is known as Sairandhri and is renowned internationally for its quality.[52]

According to former additional chief secretary Madhava Menon, the cannabis cultivated here is one of the best in the world and is sold worldwide.[51] The cannabis mafia has cut hundreds of acres of evergreen tropical forest in the Attappady Hills, including Silent Valley buffer zones, for illegal cultivation of the cash crop. The Forest Department had an ambitious plan to root out ganja cultivation from the Attappady forests by April 2006.[13]

Maoist Presence

The ticket counter of the Silent Valley National Park at Mukkali was attacked by a group of Maoists in December, 2014. A big contingent of special police has been deployed there since then, but the growing influence of Maoist groups in tribal east Kerala is of grave concern.[53]

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  45. ^ . National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources of ICAR (India), Plant Exploration and Collection Division. Archived from the original on 19 October 2007. Retrieved 18 October 2007.
  46. ^ . princeofwales.gov.uk. 1990. Archived from the original on 7 October 2007. Retrieved 11 February 2007.
  47. ^ DARE/ICAR Annual Report 2002-2003 (PDF). ICAR. 2002–2003. Retrieved 18 October 2007.
  48. ^ . Kerala Forests & Wildlife Department. 2004. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 18 October 2007.
  49. ^ Outlook. Hathway Investments Pvt Limited. 2005. p. 138.
  50. ^ Management in Government. Department of Administrative Reforms, Ministry of Home Affairs. 2007. p. 92.
  51. ^ a b Stone Age | Outlook India Magazine
  52. ^ Robert Clarke; Mark Merlin (1 September 2013). Cannabis: Evolution and Ethnobotany. University of California Press. pp. 226–227. ISBN 978-0-520-95457-1.
  53. ^ Panic grips tribal villages in Silent Valley – The Hindu

Further reading

  • Kerala Forest Dept. in association with Kerala Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun (1999). Manoharan, T. M. (ed.). Silent Valley: Whispers of Reason. Thiruvananthapuram: Natraj Publishers. ISBN 8190097814.
  • Aiyappan A. (1988), Tribal Culture and Tribal Welfare By, Uma Charan Mohanty, University of Madras Dept. of Anthropology.

External links

  • "Silent Valley : One of earth's last unspoilt ecosystems" blog by Jayaprakash
  • From Mukkali to Sairandhri in Silent Valley National Park 37 photos
  • A Travel Blog
  • silentvalley.gov.in
  • This 40 minute, 2004, documentary film narrates the history of the unique campaign to save the Silent Valley from destructive development. The threat to Silent Valley does not cease! Direction: P Baburaj & C Saratchandran

silent, valley, national, park, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, js. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Silent Valley National Park news newspapers books scholar JSTOR January 2019 Learn how and when to remove this template message Silent Valley National Park is a national park in Kerala India It is located in the Nilgiri hills and has a core area of 89 52 km2 34 56 sq mi It is surrounded by a buffer zone of 148 km2 57 sq mi This national park has some rare species of flora and fauna Silent Valley National Park was explored in 1847 by the botanist Robert Wight 2 It is located in the border of Mannarkkad Taluk of Palakkad district Nilambur Taluk of Malappuram district Kerala and Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu Silent Valley National ParkMalayalam സ ലന റ വ ല ന ഷണല പ ര ക ക IUCN category II national park 1 The Nilgiri Mountains as seen from Silent Valley National ParkLocation in Kerala IndiaLocationKeralaNearest cityMannarkkadCoordinates11 08 N 76 28 E 11 133 N 76 467 E 11 133 76 467 Coordinates 11 08 N 76 28 E 11 133 N 76 467 E 11 133 76 467Area89 52 km2 34 56 sq mi Established26 December 1984Governing bodyDepartment of Forests and Wildlife Kerala It is located in the rich biodiversity of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve The Karimpuzha Wildlife Sanctuary New Amarambalam Reserved Forest Nedumkayam Rainforest in Nilambur Taluk of Malappuram district Attappadi Reserved Forest in Mannarkkad Taluk of Palakkad district and Mukurthi National Park of Nilgiris district are located around Silent Valley National Park Mukurthi peak the fifth highest peak in South India and Anginda peak are also located in its vicinity The Bhavani River a tributary of the Kaveri River and Kunthipuzha River a tributary of Bharathappuzha river originate in the vicinity of Silent Valley The Kadalundi River also originates in Silent Valley National Park The national park is one of the last undisturbed tracts of South Western Ghats mountain rain forests and tropical moist evergreen forest in India Contiguous with the proposed Karimpuzha National Park 225 km2 87 sq mi to the north and Mukurthi National Park 78 46 km2 to the north east it is the core of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve 1 455 4 km2 and is part of the Nilgiri Sub Cluster 6 000 km2 Western Ghats World Heritage Site recognised by UNESCO in 2007 3 Plans for a hydroelectric project that threatened the park s biodiversity stimulated an environmentalist social movement in the 1970s known as the Save Silent Valley movement which resulted in cancelling the project and creating the park in 1980 The visitors centre for the park is at Sairandhri Contents 1 History 2 Environmental concerns 2 1 Buffer zone 3 Geography 3 1 Rivers 3 2 Climate 4 Indigenous people 5 Flora and fauna 5 1 Fauna 5 1 1 Birds 5 1 2 Mammals 5 1 3 Insects 5 1 4 Other 5 2 Flora 5 2 1 Flowering plants 5 2 2 Trees 6 Genetic resources 7 Challenges 7 1 Forest fire 7 2 Cannabis cultivation 7 3 Maoist Presence 8 References 8 1 Further reading 9 External linksHistory Edit Map of Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve showing Silent Valley National Park in relation to multiple contiguous protected areas The first Western investigation of the watersheds of the Silent Valley area was in 1857 by the botanist Robert Wight 2 The British named the area Silent Valley because of a perceived absence of noisy cicadas Another story attributes the name to the anglicisation of Sairandhri A third story refers to the presence of many lion tailed macaques Macaca silenus 4 In 1914 the forest of the Silent Valley area was declared a reserve forest Between 1927 and 1976 portions of the Silent Valley forest area were subjected to forestry operations In 1928 the location on the Kunthipuzha River at Sairandhri was identified as an ideal site for electricity generation and in 1958 a study and survey of the area was conducted and a hydroelectric project of 120 MV costing Rs 17 crore was proposed by the Kerala State Electricity Board 5 Environmental concerns EditMain article Save Silent Valley Lion tailed macaque Silent Valley is home to the largest population of lion tailed macaques an endangered species of primate Public controversy over their habitat led to the establishment of Silent Valley National Park In 1973 the valley became the focus of Save Silent Valley India s fiercest environmental movement of the decade when the Kerala State Electricity Board decided to implement the Silent Valley Hydro Electric Project SVHEP centered on a dam across the Kunthipuzha River The resulting reservoir would flood 8 3 km2 of virgin rainforest and threaten the lion tailed macaque In 1976 the Kerala State Electricity Board announced plans to begin dam construction and the issue was brought to public attention Romulus Whitaker founder of the Madras Snake Park and the Madras Crocodile Bank was probably the first person to draw public attention to the small and remote area 6 On 7 September 1985 the Silent Valley National Park was formally inaugurated and a memorial at Sairandhri to Indira Gandhi was unveiled by Rajiv Gandhi her son and the next Prime Minister On 1 September 1986 Silent Valley National Park was designated as the core area of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve Since then a long term conservation effort has been undertaken to preserve the Silent Valley ecosystem 5 In 2001 a new hydro project was proposed and the Man vs Monkey debate was revived The proposed site of the dam 64 5 m high and 275 m long is just 3 5 km downstream of the old dam site at Sairandhiri 500 m outside the National Park boundary 7 The Kerala Minister for Electricity called The Pathrakkadavu dam PHEP an eco friendly alternative to the old Silent Valley project The claim was that the submergence area of the PHEP would be a negligible 041 km2 compared to 8 30 km2 submergence of the 1970s SVHEP 8 From January to May 2003 a rapid Environmental Impact Assessment EIA was carried out On 15 November Minister for Forest Binoy Viswam said that the proposed buffer zone for Silent Valley would be declared soon 9 On 21 February 2007 ex Chief Minister A K Antony told reporters after a cabinet meeting that when the Silent Valley proposal was dropped the centre had promised to give clearance to the Pooyamkutty project This promise however had not been honoured The Kerala government has not taken any decision on reviving the Silent Valley Hydel Project 10 On 18 April 2007 Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan and his cabinet approved the Pathrakkadavu Hydro electric project and sent it to the Union Government for environmental approval 11 12 Map of Silent Valley NP Buffer zone Edit Territorial forests located around the national park have been subject to a working plan to accomplish revenue oriented objectives such as extraction of bamboo and reed which affect the long term conservation of the park citation needed In addition illegal activities such as ganja Cannabis sativa cultivation has caused habitat degradation 13 On 21 November 2009 Union Minister of Forest and Environment Jairam Ramesh and Kerala Forest Minister Binoy Viswam declared while inaugurating the silver jubilee celebration of Silent Valley National Park in Palakkad that the buffer zone of the Park would be made an integral part of it in order to ensure better protection of the area 14 On 6 June 2007 the Kerala cabinet approved the buffer zone proposal The new 147 22 km2 zone will include 80 75 km2 taken from Attapady Forest Range 27 09 km2 from Mannarkkad Forest Range and 39 38 km2 from Kalikavu Forest Range and consolidated to form a new range Bhavani Forest Range of 94 km2 and 54 km2 would be brought under the existing Silent Valley Range of the National Park The Cabinet also sanctioned 35 staff to protect the area and two new forest stations in Bhavani range at Anavai and Thudukki Forest Minister Benoy Viswom said the zone would have reserve forest status and tribals in the area would not be affected The decision reaffirmed the commitment of the LDF Government to protection of environment The zone is a necessity not just of the State but also of the nation 15 The proposal was then sent to Kerala Minister for Electricity A K Balan who has voiced the need for setting up the Pathrakadavu hydroelectric project in the proposed southwest buffer zone of the National Park the Thenkara Range of the Mannarkkad Forest Division As of 9 May 2007 Balan has not given his opinion on the buffer zone proposal 16 In August 2006 the new Minister for Forests Benoy Viswam approved a proposal from the Conservator of Forests for a 148 km2 buffer zone around the core area of the park The proposal says It is felt absolutely essential that an effective buffer of forests should be immediately formed around the national park in order to save the world famous Silent Valley National Park from all potential dangers This can only be achieved by bringing the management of Silent Valley National Park as well as the proposed buffer zone under one management umbrella to insulate the park from all possible dangers The proposed buffer zone will have 94 km2 in Attappady Reserve Forest east of the Kunthipuzha and 54 km2 taken from the Mannarkaad range and Nilambur south division west of the river In January 2006 the former Kerala Minister for Forest and Environment A Sujanapal said the Government would consider the demand for a 600 km2 buffer zone for Silent Valley National Park made by Bharathapuzha Protection Committee Malampuzha Protection Committee One Earth One Life and Jana Jagratha A buffer zone proposal was made in the 1986 park management plan but not implemented 17 In 1979 M S Swaminathan then Secretary to the Department of Agriculture visited the Silent Valley area and suggested that 389 52 km2 including the Silent Valley 89 52 km2 New Amarambalam 80 km2 Attappadi 120 km2 in Kerala and Kunda in Coimbatore 100 km2 reserve forests should be developed into a National Rainforest Biosphere Reserve 18 On 27 October 2020 draft notification was made by Govt of India for the area around the National park declaring it as eco sensitive zone 19 Geography Edit Hanging Bridge across the Kuntipuzha River Silent Valley National Park SVNP Silent Valley National ParkTopography 1 250 000 1959 Silent Valley is rectangular twelve kilometres from north to south and seven from east to west Located between 11 03 to 11 13 N latitude and 76 21 to 76 35 E longitude it is separated from the eastern and northern high altitude plateaus of the Nilgiris Mountains by high continuous ridges including Sispara Peak 2 206 m at the north end of the park The park gradually slopes southward down to the Palakkad plains and to the west it is bounded by irregular ridges The altitude varies from 658 m to 2328 m at Anginda Peak but most of the park lies within the altitude range of 880 m to 1200 m Soils are blackish and slightly acidic in evergreen forests where there is good accumulation of organic matter The underlying rock in the area is granite with schists and gneiss which give rise to the loamy laterite soils on slopes 20 Rivers Edit The Kunthipuzha River drains the entire 15 km length of the park from north to south into the Bharathapuzha River Kunthipuzha River divides the park into a narrow eastern sector of width 2 kilometers and a wide western sector of 5 kilometers The river is characterized by its crystal clear water and perennial nature The main tributaries of the river Kunthancholapuzha Karingathodu Madrimaranthodu Valiaparathodu and Kummaathanthodu originate on the upper slopes of the eastern side of the valley The river is uniformly shallow with no flood plains or meanders Its bed falls from 1 861 m to 900 m over a distance of 12 km the last 8 km being particularly level with a fall of only 60 m Kunthipuzha is one of the less torrential rivers of the Western Ghats with a pesticide free catchment area 21 Climate Edit Silent Valley from JPL Map server Silent Valley gets copious amounts of rainfall during the monsoons but the actual amount varies within the region due to the varied topography In general rainfall is higher at higher altitudes and decreases from the west to the east due to the rain shadow effect Eighty per cent of the rainfall occurs during the south west monsoon between June and September The park also receives a significant amount of rainfall during the north east monsoon between October and November 22 The park being completely enclosed within a ring of hills has its own micro climate and probably receives some convectional rainfall in addition to rain from the two monsoons In the remaining months condensation on vegetation of mist shrouding the valley is estimated to yield 15 per cent of the total water generated in the rainforest 23 In 2006 the Walakkad area of the park received the highest ever annual rainfall of 9 569 6 mm In 2000 the figure was 7 788 mm in 2001 8 351 9 mm in 2004 8465 3 mm and in 2005 9 347 8 mm The annual rainfall received in the valley at Sairandhri was 7 788 8 mm in 2000 8 361 9 mm in 2001 In 2002 4 262 5 mm in 2003 3 499 65 mm in 2004 6 521 27 mm in 2005 6 919 38 mm in 2006 6 845 05 mm in 2007 6 009 35 mm and in 2008 it was 4386 5 mm The figure till October 2009 was 5 477 4 mm Average annual rainfall in the park between 2000 and 2008 was thus 6 066 mm 14 The mean annual temperature is 20 2 C The hottest months are April and May when the mean temperature is 23 C and the coolest months are January and February when the mean temperature is 18 C Because of the high rainfall the relative humidity is consistently high above 95 between June and December 21 Indigenous people EditThere is no record of the valley ever having been settled but the Mudugar and Irula tribal people are indigenous to the area and do live in the adjacent valley of Attappady Reserved Forest 24 25 Also the Kurumbar people live in the highest range outside the park bordering on the Nilgiris 26 Many of the Mudugar Irula and Kurumbar now work as day labourers and porters Some work for the Forest Department in the park as forest guards and visitor guides citation needed 16 out of 21 tribal colonies in the Attappady range cultivate marijuana Many Mudugar are in abject poverty and easily recruited by the so called ganja mafia In 2006 it was planned to employ 50 additional men from the 21 tribal settlements as forest guards 13 Flora and fauna EditThe valley areas of the park are in a Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests Ecoregion Hilly areas above 1 000 m are in the South Western Ghats montane rain forests region Above 1 500 m the evergreen forests begin to give way to stunted forests called sholas interspersed with open grassland both of which are of interest to ecologists as the rich biodiversity here has never been disturbed by human settlements Several threatened species are endemic here New plant and animal species are often discovered here 21 Fauna Edit Birds Edit A Nilgiri wood pigeon Birdlife International lists 16 bird species in Silent Valley as threatened or restricted Nilgiri wood pigeon Malabar parakeet Malabar grey hornbill white bellied treepie grey headed bulbul broad tailed grassbird rufous babbler Wynaad laughing thrush Nilgiri laughing thrush Nilgiri blue robin black and rufous flycatcher Nilgiri flycatcher white bellied blue flycatcher crimson backed sunbird and Nilgiri pipit 27 Rare bird species found here include the Ceylon frogmouth and great Indian hornbill The 2006 winter bird survey discovered the long legged buzzard a new species of raptor at Sispara the park s highest peak The survey found 10 endangered species recorded in the IUCN Red List including the red winged crested cuckoo Malabar pied hornbill and pale harrier The area is home to 15 endemic species including the black and orange flycatcher It recorded 138 species of birds including 17 species that were newly observed in the Silent Valley area The most abundant bird was the black bulbul 28 Mammals Edit Nilgiri langur There are at least 34 species of mammals at Silent Valley including the threatened lion tailed macaque Nilgiri langur Malabar giant squirrel Nilgiri tahr Peshwa s bat Myotis peshwa and hairy winged bat There are nine species of bats rats and mice 29 Distribution and demography of all diurnal primates were studied in Silent Valley National Park and adjacent areas for a period of three years from 1993 to 1996 Fourteen troops of lion tailed macaque eighty five troops of Nilgiri langur fifteen troops of bonnet macaque and seven troops of Hanuman langur were observed Of these the Nilgiri langur was randomly distributed whereas the lion tailed macaque troops were confined to the southern sector of the Park Bonnet macaques and Hanuman langurs were occasional visitors The Silent Valley forest remains one of the most undisturbed viable habitats left for the endemic and endangered primates lion tailed macaque and Nilgiri langur 30 Tiger leopard leopard cat jungle cat common palm civet small Indian civet brown palm civet ruddy mongoose stripe necked mongoose dhole clawless otter sloth bear small Travancore flying squirrel Indian pangolin scaly anteater porcupine wild boar sambar spotted deer barking deer mouse deer elephant and gaur also live here citation needed Insects Edit Vestalis submontana endemic to Western Ghats There are at least 730 identified species of insects in the park The maximum number of species belong to the orders Lepidoptera and Coleoptera Many unclassified species have been collected and there is a need for further studies 31 33 species of crickets and grasshoppers have been recorded of which one was new 41 species of true bugs eight new have been recorded 128 species of beetles including 10 new species have been recorded 32 Over 128 species of butterflies and 400 species of moths live here A 1993 study found butterflies belonging to 9 families The families Nymphalidae and Papilionidae contained the maximum number of species 13 species were endemic to South India including 5 species having protected status 33 Seven species of butterflies were observed migrating in a mixed swarm of thousands of butterflies towards the Silent Valley National Park In one instance an observer noted several birds attempting to catch these butterflies 34 A survey jointly conducted by Indian Dragonfly Society and the Forest and Wildlife Department in September 2018 in the buffer zone of the Silent Valley National Park found 82 species of odonata The species found include Indosticta deccanensis Burmagomphus laidlawi Microgomphus souteri Onychogomphus nilgiriensis Euphaea dispar Idionyx travancorensis Megalogomphus hannyngtoni and Lestes dorothea 35 Other Edit Silent Valley Bush Frog Raorchestes silentvalley At least 500 species of earthworms and leeches have also been identified in the park 29 The Silent Valley Bush Frog Raorchestes silentvalley first described in 2016 is named after the park 36 Flora Edit The flora of the valley include about a 1000 species of flowering plants 108 species of orchids 100 ferns and fern allies 200 liverworts 75 lichens and about 200 algae A majority of these plants are endemic to the Western Ghats 37 Senecio neelgherryanus in Silent Valley Tailed jay nectoring on a daisy Flowering plants Edit Angiosperm flora currently identified here include 966 species belonging to 134 families and 599 genera There are 701 Dicotyledons distributed among 113 families and 420 genera There are 265 Monocotyledons here distributed among 21 families and 139 genera Families best represented are the Orchids with 108 species including the rare endemic and highly endangered orchids Ipsea malabarica Bulbophyllum silentvalliensis and Eria tiagii Grasses 56 Legumes 55 Rubiaceae 49 and Asters 45 There are many rare endemic and economically valuable species such as cardamom Ellettaria cardamomum black pepper Piper nigrum yams Dioscorea spp beans Phaseolus sp a pest resistant strain of rice Oryza Pittambi and 110 plant species of importance in Ayurvedic medicine 38 Seven new plant species have been recorded from Silent Valley including in 1996 Impatiens sivarajanii a new species of Balsaminaceae 39 Trees Edit Occurrence of lion tailed macaque is dependent on the flowering of Cullenia exarillata in the forest 40 Six distinct tree associations clarification needed have been described in the valley Three are restricted to the southern sector Cullenia exarillata and Palaquium ellipticum Palaquium ellipticum and Mesua ferrea Indian rose chestnut Mesua ferrea and Calophyllum elatumThe remainder are confined to the central and northern parts of the park Palaquium ellipticum and Poeciloneuron indicum Calophyllum elatum and Ochlandra species Poeciloneuron indicum and Ochlandra species 41 A study of natural regeneration of 12 important tree species of Silent Valley tropical rain forests showed good natural regeneration of all 12 species The species studied were Palaquium ellipticum Cullenia exarillata Poeciloneuron indicum Myristica dactyloides Elaeocarpus glandulosus Litsea floribunda Mesua nagassarium Cinnamomum malabatrum Agrostistachys meeboldii Calophyllum polyanthum Garcinia morella and Actinodaphne campanulata 42 In 2001 selective felling of three trees per acre led to the cutting of 48 000 m3 of timber from about 20 km2 43 Genetic resources EditThroughout human history about 10 of the genetic stock found in the wild has been bred into palatable and higher yielding cereals fruits and vegetables Future food security depends on the preservation of the remaining 90 of the stock through protection of high biodiversity habitats like Silent valley 44 The National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources of ICAR India Plant Exploration and Collection Division 45 has identified Silent Valley as high in bio diversity and an important Gene Pool resource for Recombinant DNA innovations An important example of use of wild germplasm is gene selection from the wild varieties of rice Oryza nivara Central India and Oryza Pittambi found in Silent Valley for the traits of broad spectrum disease resistance in high yielding hybrid rice varieties including IR 36 which are responsible for much of the Green Revolution throughout Asia 46 Also genetic evaluation of plant growth promoting Rhizobacteria obtained from Silent Valley indicated that strain IISR 331 could increase the growth of black pepper cuttings by 228 and showed 82 7 inhibition of the common plant wilting disease Phytopthora capsici in laboratory tests in vitro 47 Challenges EditForest fire Edit Fire is one of the major threats facing forests in Kerala People engaged in grazing livestock often burn an area to get fresh grass shoots for their cattle especially during dry season when fire danger is greatest Also illicit activities like ganja cultivation poaching tree felling non timber forest products NTFP collection and very often careless tourists and pilgrims are responsible for big forest fires 48 Cannabis cultivation Edit Silent Valley is home to some of India s largest illegal plantations of cannabis 49 Cannabis is one of the traditional plantations in these forests and there are people who depend on Ganja economy for a livelihood 50 Tribes like Irula Muduga and Kurumba particularly the last one have always grown cannabis in their history 51 The seedless variety of cannabis cultivated in Silent Valley is known as Sairandhri and is renowned internationally for its quality 52 According to former additional chief secretary Madhava Menon the cannabis cultivated here is one of the best in the world and is sold worldwide 51 The cannabis mafia has cut hundreds of acres of evergreen tropical forest in the Attappady Hills including Silent Valley buffer zones for illegal cultivation of the cash crop The Forest Department had an ambitious plan to root out ganja cultivation from the Attappady forests by April 2006 13 Maoist Presence Edit The ticket counter of the Silent Valley National Park at Mukkali was attacked by a group of Maoists in December 2014 A big contingent of special police has been deployed there since then but the growing influence of Maoist groups in tribal east Kerala is of grave concern 53 References Edit Protected Planet 2018 Silent Valley National Park United Nations Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre Archived from the original on 16 January 2019 Retrieved 16 January 2019 a b Kumar N S 2004 Silent Valley Trekking through the Amazon of India PDF Corporate House Journal of Indian Oil Corporation Limited XXXXI 15 16 Archived from the original PDF on 28 September 2007 Retrieved 2 July 2007 Research UNESCO World Heritage sites Tentative lists Western Ghats sub cluster Niligiris UNESCO 2007 Retrieved 18 October 2007 Krishnan V 2007 Into the Jungle Sunday Express Archived from the original on 29 September 2007 Retrieved 3 July 2007 a b Gledhill Laurence 1996 Silent Valley A masterplan for The Indian Ex situ Population of Lion tailed Macaques Macaca silenus and A Historical Profile of Habitat Conservation in Kerala India Newsletter for the Old World Monkey Taxon Advisory Group American Zoo and Aquarium Association 3 2 Retrieved 18 October 2007 Reprinted from the 1995 Proceedings of the Joint Conference of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians the Wildlife Disease Association and the American Association of Wildlife Veterinarians Storm over Silent Valley A Peoples Movement Saves A Valley Ministry of Environment and Forests India Retrieved 18 October 2007 Kumar K G 2004 Silent Valley redux The Hindu Business Line Retrieved 3 October 2007 Surendranath C Suchitra M 2004 New whispers in Silent Valley The Hindu Archived from the original on 15 January 2005 Retrieved 3 October 2007 Kerala minister of Forests Proposed buffer Zone to be declared soon The Hindu 2006 Archived from the original on 28 October 2007 Retrieved 3 October 2007 No decision yet on Silent Valley Antony Times of India 23 February 2007 Archived from the original on 28 February 2008 Retrieved 18 October 2007 Green Marxist succumbs to Power needs newindpress com 19 April 2007 Archived from the original on 27 September 2007 Retrieved 5 October 2007 Suchitra M 2007 Kerala clears Pathrakkadavu hydroelectric project near national park Down to Earth Archived from the original on 28 September 2007 Retrieved 12 June 2007 a b c Prabhakaran G 2006 Plan afoot to uproot ganja from Silent Valley The Hindu Archived from the original on 1 October 2007 Retrieved 3 March 2007 a b Prabhakaran G 2009 A rainforest s saga of survival The Hindu Op Ed Chennai Kasturi and Sons Ltd Retrieved 27 December 2009 Cabinet approves buffer zone for Silent Valley The Hindu 2007 Archived from the original on 17 September 2007 Retrieved 8 June 2007 Prabhakaran G 2007 Cabinet yet to get proposal for Silent Valley buffer zone The Hindu Archived from the original on 1 October 2007 Retrieved 5 October 2007 Government will consider plea for Silent Valley buffer zone Minister The Hindu 2003 Archived from the original on 19 September 2006 Retrieved 18 October 2007 Surendranath C 2007 Silent Valley threatened again India Together Retrieved 18 October 2007 Govt of India ESZ Notification PDF www egazette nic in Govt of India Retrieved 14 February 2022 Unnikrishnan P N 1989 Silent Valley National Park Management Plan 1990 91 99 2000 Silent Valley National Park Division Mannarghat pp 1 83 a b c United Nations Environment Programme s World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1991 Silent Valley National Park UNEP WCMC report Archived from the original on 11 March 2007 Retrieved 3 July 2007 ANCF 2006 Nilambur Silent Valley Coimbatore Perspective for the Reserve Asian Nature Conservation Foundation Archived from the original on 2 February 2007 Retrieved 26 March 2007 Prabhakaran G 2009 Monsoons shower a bounty on Silent Valley The Hindu pp Front Page Archived from the original on 12 November 2009 Retrieved 3 December 2009 Suchitra M 2005 Remote adivasis face health care chasm India Together Retrieved 3 July 2007 National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries Silent Valley National Park palghat net Retrieved 30 March 2007 Balford Edward 1873 Kurumbar people Cyclopaedia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia Scottish and Adelphi Presses 3 341 Retrieved 30 March 2007 BirdLife International 2005 World Bird Database Version 2 0 Cambridge UK BirdLife International Available World Bird Database accessed 3 24 2007 Prabhakaran G 13 December 2006 New species of bird sighted in Silent Valley The Hindu Archived from the original on 7 November 2012 Retrieved 3 March 2007 a b Gopalakrishnan C V 29 July 2001 Silent Valley world s natural heritage site The Hindu Archived from the original on 27 June 2003 Retrieved 22 October 2007 Ramchandaran K K Joseph Gigi K 2001 Distribution and demography of diurnal primates in Silent Valley National Park and adjacent areas Kerala India Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society Bombay Natural History Society 98 2 191 196 Archived from the original on 27 September 2007 Retrieved 3 March 2007 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link George Mathew P Rugmini Binoy C F 2003 Impact of forest fire on insect species diversity a study in the Silent Valley National Park Kerala India PDF Entomon abstract Division of Entomology Kerala Forest Research Institute Peechi 680 653 Kerala India 28 2 105 114 Archived from the original PDF on 11 January 2015 Retrieved 22 April 2014 Z S I 1986 Silent Valley Records of the Zoological Survey of India Zoological Survey of India 84 Silent Valley Special Issue 1 4 Archived from the original on 27 September 2007 Retrieved 29 September 2007 cited by Mathew George and Binoy C F Chapter 3 AN OVERVIEW OF INSECT DIVERSITY OF WESTERN GHATS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO KERALA STATE Mathew G Rahamathulla V K 1993 Studies on the butterflies of Silent Valley National Park Entomon 18 3 4 185 192 Retrieved 18 October 2007 dead link Senthilmurugan B 2005 2008 Mukurthi National Park A migratory route for butterflies Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 102 2 241 242 A safe haven for rare dragonflies The Hindu 7 October 2018 Retrieved 7 October 2018 Zachariah A V P Cyriac B Chandramohan B R Ansil J K Mathew D V Raju R K Abraham 2016 Two new species of Raorchestes Anura Rhacophoridae from the Silent Valley National Park in the Nilgiri Hills of the Western Ghats India Salamandra 52 2 63 76 Flora and Fauna of Silent Valley National Park silentvalleynationalpark com Archived from the original on 29 September 2007 Retrieved 13 August 2007 Manilal K S 1988 Flora of Silent Valley tropical rainforests of India Calicut The Mathrubhumi MM Press p 398 Kumar M S 1996 Impatiens sivarajanii a new species of Balsaminaceae from Silent Valley National Park Kerala India Rheedea 6 51 Retrieved 3 August 2007 ATREE Cullenia exarillata atree org Projects 2 atree org Archived from the original on 26 September 2007 Retrieved 18 October 2007 Joseph Gigi K Ramachandarn K K 2003 Distribution and Demography of the Nilgiri Langur Trachypithecus johnii in Silent Valley National Park and Adjacent Areas Kerala India PDF Primate Conservation IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group 19 78 82 Archived from the original PDF on 28 September 2007 Retrieved 18 October 2007 Manilal K S Kandya A Sabu T 1989 A study of natural regeneration of 12 important tree species of Silent Valley tropical rain forests Kerala India Journal of Tropical Forestry 5 1 43 50 Retrieved 18 October 2007 dead link Gopalakrishnan C V 16 August 2001 Bio diversity facing extinction threat The Hindu Archived from the original on 7 January 2007 Retrieved 8 February 2007 a href Template Cite news html title Template Cite news cite news a CS1 maint unfit URL link State of the Environment 5 4 Biodiversity Conservation Ministry of Environment and Forests India 1999 Retrieved 18 October 2007 Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources of ICAR India Plant Exploration and Collection Division Archived from the original on 19 October 2007 Retrieved 18 October 2007 A speech by HRH The Prince of Wales titled The Rainforest Lecture for Friends of the Earth the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew princeofwales gov uk 1990 Archived from the original on 7 October 2007 Retrieved 11 February 2007 DARE ICAR Annual Report 2002 2003 PDF ICAR 2002 2003 Retrieved 18 October 2007 Threats to the forests of Kerala Forest Fires Kerala Forests amp Wildlife Department 2004 Archived from the original on 28 September 2007 Retrieved 18 October 2007 Outlook Hathway Investments Pvt Limited 2005 p 138 Management in Government Department of Administrative Reforms Ministry of Home Affairs 2007 p 92 a b Stone Age Outlook India Magazine Robert Clarke Mark Merlin 1 September 2013 Cannabis Evolution and Ethnobotany University of California Press pp 226 227 ISBN 978 0 520 95457 1 Panic grips tribal villages in Silent Valley The Hindu Further reading Edit Kerala Forest Dept in association with Kerala Forest Research Institute Dehra Dun 1999 Manoharan T M ed Silent Valley Whispers of Reason Thiruvananthapuram Natraj Publishers ISBN 8190097814 Aiyappan A 1988 Tribal Culture and Tribal Welfare By Uma Charan Mohanty University of Madras Dept of Anthropology External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Silent Valley National Park Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Silent Valley National Park Silent Valley One of earth s last unspoilt ecosystems blog by Jayaprakash From Mukkali to Sairandhri in Silent Valley National Park 37 photos Silent Valley National Park A Travel Blog silentvalley gov in Only An Axe Away This 40 minute 2004 documentary film narrates the history of the unique campaign to save the Silent Valley from destructive development The threat to Silent Valley does not cease Direction P Baburaj amp C Saratchandran Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Silent Valley National Park amp oldid 1137467802, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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