|
|
Western Ghats set to get World Heritage Site status
BY OUR CORRESPONDENT
20 June, 2005: A site on the Western Ghats may soon
get the status of World Heritage site, with the United Nations
Educational Cultural and Scientific Organisation (UNESCO)
taking up the lead in this regard.
The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) had conducted surveys to spot a wildlife sanctuary or national park which would fit the bill, media reports said. Kudremukh, Someshwar Pushpagiri andBrahmagiri in Karnataka, Eravikulam and
Mannavan Shola in Kerala may be considered for this.
The Western Ghats, spread over a 1609 kilometers the states of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, is a reserve of rare species of birds fish reptiles, mammals and amphibians.
The Western Ghats extend from Tapti valley, situated North of Mumbai, to Kaniyakumari in the south, with only one break – the Palghat Gap. The average elevation of the Western Ghats is about 900 metres. Anamudi in Kerala is the highest peak in Western Ghats, with a height of 2695 metres.
The Western Ghats intercept westerly monsoon winds, with the rains creating numerous waterways which form the fountainhead of small water bodies as well as great rivers like Godavari, Krishna and Cauvery. Many of these places are threatened by pollution, like Kudremukh, where iron is mined. The Silent Valley National Park in Kerala is one of the last tracts of virgin tropical evergreen forest in India.
The Western Ghats is also home to many endemic species, including amphibians and reptiles. The snake family Uropeltidae is almost entirely restricted to and diversified in this region of the world. The frog Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis was discovered in 2003 as being a living fossil. The forests are made up predominantly of teak (Tectona grandis) and
dipterocarps.
What is a World Heritage Site
A world heritage site could be a forest, mountain range, lake, desert, building, complex, or city), that has been nominated for the international World Heritage programme of the UNESCO. The programme broadly aims to catalogue, name, and preserve sites of outstanding importance, either cultural or natural, to the common heritage of humankind. Listed sites get funding from World Heritage Fund, subject to certain conditions.
World heritage Sites in India
· Taj Mahal
· Ellora Caves
· Agra Fort
· Ajanta Caves
· Mahabalipuram Monuments
· Sun Temple, Konark
· Kaziranga National Park
· Keoladeo National Park
· Manas Wildlife Sanctuary
· Churches and convents of Goa
· Khajuraho Monuments
· Fatehpur Sikri
· Hampi Monuments
· Sunderbans National Park
· Brihadisvara Temple Tanjore
· Pattadakal Monuments
· Elephanta Caves
· Nanda Devi National Park
· Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi
· Qutub Minar and its Monuments
· Humayun's Tomb, Delhi
· Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
· Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh Gaya
· Rock Shelters at Bhimbetka
· Champaner-Pavagadh Park
· Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus aka Victoria Terminus
|
