Kudremukh

Infobox Indian Jurisdiction
native_name = Kuduremukha | skyline = Kuduremukha Iron Ore.jpg
skyline_caption = Kudremukha Iron Ore Company logo
type = city | latd = 13.08| longd = 75.16
state_name = Karnataka
district = Chikmagalur
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population_as_of = 2001
population_total = 8095| population_density =
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Kuduremukha( ಕುದುರೆಮುಖ in Kannada/Tulu; Konkani- कुद्रेमुख)(Also was called as Malleshwara before the KIOCL company was established) is a mountain range in Chikmagalur district, in Karnataka, India. It is also the name of a small town situated near the mountain, about 48 kilometers from Karkala and about 20 kilometers from Kalsa. The name "Kuduremukha" (as it is known by the natives) literally means 'horse-face' (in the local language Kannada) and refers to a particular picturesque view of a side of the mountain that resembles the same.

The town of Kudremukh is primarily an iron ore mining town where the government run Public Sector Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd. (KIOCL) operates. It is noted for its scenic beauty. Owing to the dense forests, sighting wildlife can be challenging, though the area is rich in wildlife. Nonetheless the drive through the forest ranges can be enchanting and exhilarating. Three important rivers, the Tunga, the Bhadra and the Nethravathi are said to have their origin here. A shrine of goddess "Bhagavathi" and a "Varaha" image, 1.8 m within a cave are the main attractions.

Location

The Kudremukh National Park (latitudinal range 13°01'00" to 13°29'17" N, longitudinal range 75°00'55' to 75°25'00" E) is the second largest declared Wildlife Protected Area (600.32 km²) of a tropical wet evergreen type of forest in the Western Ghats. Kudremukh National Park is located in Udupi and Chikmagalore districts of Karnataka states. The Western Ghats is one of the thirty four hot spots identified for bio-diversity conservation in the world. Kudremukh National Park comes under the Global Tiger Conservation Priority-I, under the format developed jointly by Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and World Wide Fund-USA.

Geography

The southern and western sides of the park form the steep slope of the Western Ghat ridge line, with the altitude varying from 100 m - 1892 m (peak). The northern, central and the eastern portions of the park form a chain of rolling hills with a mosaic of natural grassland and shola forest. Kudremukh receives an average annual rainfall of 7000 mm, which has evolved forest types of mainly evergreen vegetation.

History

The British Government declared Kudremukh region as a Reserved Forest in 1916, to stop rampant slash and burn cultivation practices from penetrating deeper into the Ghats.Well known environmentalist and Tiger expert Dr. Ullas Karanth, undertook a detailed and systematic survey of the distribution of the endangered Lion Tailed Macaque in Karnataka during 1983-84 with support from Government of Karnataka. He observed that suitable and extensive rainforest habitat for Lion-tailed Macaque existed in Kudremukh and that the tract probably harbored the largest contiguous population of lion tailed macaques in the Western Ghats outside the Malabar region. He further suggested that Lion Tailed Macaques could be effectively used as a 'flagship' species to conserve the entire biotic community in the region and prepared a conservation plan for survival of wild population of Lion Tailed Macaques in the region delineating the present national park area as a proposed nature reserve. Based on his report, the Karnataka State Wildlife Advisory Board suggested to the Government that Kudremukh National Park be created. Subsequently, the first notification of the Kudremukh National Park was issued.In 1987, the Government of Karnataka declared these Reserved Forests as a National Park based on the above suggestion.

Ecology

A diverse assemblage of endangered large mammals is found in the park supporting three large mammal predator species Tiger, Leopard and Wild Dogs. The important Tiger prey base found within the Park is Gaur, Sambar, Wild Pig, Muntjac, Chevrotain, Bonnet Macaque, Common Langur and the Lion Tailed Macaque.

The wet climate and the tremendous water retentive capacity of the shola grasslands and forests has led to the formation of thousands of perennial streams in the region converging to form three major rivers of the region, Tunga, Bhadra and Nethravathi that form an important lifeline for the people of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Lobo house is an old abandoned house on top of Kuduremukha.

Threats

KIOCL Plant at KuduremukhKudremukh Iron Ore Company Limited (KIOCL) is a government run company which mines iron ore from the Kudremukh hills. KIOCL has been conducting its operations on an area of 4,604.55 ha for over 20 years. Opposition to its activities has built up over the years from environmentalists and wildlife conservationists who are concerned about the threat to the region's flora and fauna, and farmers who are affected by the pollution of the streams that originate in the mining area.

The rainfall in Kuduremukh, which is perhaps one of the highest for any open cast mining operation in the world, greatly accentuates the impacts of siltation as claimed by environmentalists. The topographic and rainfall characteristics in combination with the open cast mining of low grade iron ore and other land-surface disturbances caused by the KIOCL operations results in very high sediment discharge, with over 60% of the total siltation in the Bhadra system being contributed by the mining area which forms less than six per cent of the catchment. With high quality practices adopted by KIOCL to mine, the flora and fauna remained intact, causing no adverse affects on the nature.

KIOCL sends iron ore through pipes running through districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada and is converted to pellets at their plant in Panambur.These pellets are exported to countries like China, Iran, Japan, etc by ships.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census, [GR|India] Kudremukh had a population of 8095. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Kudremukh has an average literacy rate of 80%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 83%, and female literacy is 77%. In Kuduremukh, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.

References

External links

* [http://www.kudremukhore.com Kudremukh Company]
* [http://www.wildindia.org/wiki/Kudremukh_checklist_amphibians Checklist of Amphibians reported from Kudremukh National Park]
* [http://www.wildindia.org/wiki/Kudremukh_checklist_insects Checklist of Aquatic Insects reported from Kudremukh National Park]
* [http://www.wildindia.org/wiki/Kudremukh_checklist_birds Checklist of Birds reported from Kudremukh National Park]
* [http://www.wildindia.org/wiki/Kudremukh_checklist_butterflies Checklist of Butterflies reported from Kudremukh National Park]
* [http://www.wildindia.org/wiki/Kudremukh_checklist_fishes Checklist of Fishes reported from Kudremukh National Park]
* [http://www.wildindia.org/wiki/Kudremukh_checklist_mammals Checklist of Mammals reported from Kudremukh National Park]
* [http://www.wildindia.org/wiki/Kudremukh_checklist_non_woody_plants Checklist of Non-Woody Plants reported from Kudremukh National Park]
* [http://www.wildindia.org/wiki/Kudremukh_checklist_reptiles Checklist of Reptiles reported from Kudremukh National Park]
* [http://india-travel.co.in/trekking/western-ghats/trek-to-kudremukh-peak.html Kudremukh trek]