Srivilliputhur Megamalai Tiger Reserve: Building iIlegal Resort
An RTI query recently revealed that the forest department has identified 12 illegal, unauthorised or unrecognised resorts in Srivilliputhur Megamalai Tiger Reserve (SMTR), Megamalai division in Theni.
- Srivilliputhur Megamalai Tiger Reserve (SMTR) is spread across the districts of Theni, Virudhunagar and Madurai in Tamil Nadu.
- It lies in the Western Ghats region.
- SMTR is India’s 51st tiger reserve and 5th tiger reserve of Tamil Nadu.
- It was formed in February 2021 by combining Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary and Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary.
- It will function as a connecting link between Kerala’s Periyar Tiger Reserve and Tamil Nadu’s Southern Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve.
- SMTR will provide protection to Megamalai, the Vaigai River’s primary catchment, in turn helping water levels to rise in the river.
- It’s a blend of tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, dry deciduous and moist mixed deciduous woods, and grasslands.
- Fauna : Elephants, Tiger, Leopard, Nilgiri Tahr, Gaur, Spotted Deer, Barking Deer, Sambar Deer, Wild Boar, Porcupine, Nilgiri Langur, Lion-Tailed Macaque etc.
