Chalakudy River

Origin

Though the river has its origin in the Anamalai region of Tamil Nadu, it is actually a collection of some major tributaries originated from Parambikulam, Kuriyarkutti, Sholayar, Karapara and Anakayam in Kerala.

Riparian vegetation

Chalakudy River is the one of very few rivers of Kerala with relics of riparian vegetation in substantial level. The major threat has been submergence due to reservoirs. The annual report of the National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources Lucknow, mentioned that the Chalakudy River is the richest river in fish diversity perhaps in India. The riparian forests of the Chalakudy River have revealed the existence of a thick riparian vegetation of more than 10 metres width for a distance of 10.5 km downstream from Peringalkuth, covering an area of 58.5 hectares. Out of this, 26.4 hectares lie within the Vazachal area, including three large islands densely covered by riparian forests.{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040927072600/http://www.hindu.com/2004/09/07/stories/2004090708430400.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2004-09-27 |access-date=2012-08-02}} The riparian forests of the area have been found to be characterised by the presence of typical riparian species of plants, in addition to evergreen and semi-evergreen species. Out of the 319 species of flowering plants identified from the study area, 24 are endemic species of the Western Ghats and 10 are rare and endangered.

Fauna

The Chalakudy River is known for its diversity, as it contains 98 species of fresh water fish Among these, 35 are endemic species of the Western Ghats According to a report of the National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources in Lucknow, Chalakudy could well be the richest river in fish diversity in India, with thick vegetation on both sides.{{cite web |access-date=2011-11-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120129015638/http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/travel/article2656330.ece |archive-date=29 January 2012 |url-status=dead Among the fish species in the river, the most species rich family are the Cyprinids, followed by Bagrid catfishes and hillstream loaches.

Waterfalls

|access-date=2006-11-02

[[2018 Kerala floods]]

Though officially the flood was most severe on 16 August 2018, the banks of the Chalakudy River started flooding from the early hours of 15 August 2018 due to unusually high rainfall during the monsoon season. All the streams, low-lying areas and agricultural fields in the river's proximity was flooded already and the river was correcting the meandering curves created through its centuries of history. All the towns and villages within 5 km of the river were flooded except the slightly high hill tops. It was the worst flood in Chalakudy in nearly a century. The Indian government had declared it a Level 3 Calamity, or "calamity of a severe nature". It is the worst flood in Kerala after the great flood of 99 that took place in 1924.

Aftermath of the floods

The aftermath of the flood was very severe as it changed the overall outlook of the riverway from the mountains to the river mouth. Large areas of the river banks collapsed and caved in due to the powerful currents in the floods and new banks were created as a result. Huge trees along in the course were uprooted and deposited all along its flow especially on the bridges. Many road bridges even got displaced by a few cm due to the water's force like the Vettilapara Bridge. Also the fauna in the river was greatly affected as the indigenous fish species were displaced from their natural habitats. To make things worse, foreign species were introduced into the river system from the nearby fish farms that had hundreds of varieties of aquarium fishes like the Arapaima, Arowana, Piranha, Alligator Gar, Flowerhorn cichlid, and Red-bellied Pacu.{{cite web |access-date=2020-03-07 |archive-date=29 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029234051/https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/offbeat/invasive-fishes-aplenty-in-rivers-pose-threat-to-local-fish-breeds-flood-1.3103847 |url-status=dead |access-date=2020-03-07

Panorama

References

References

1. Amitha Bachan K.H. and Devika M.A. 2020. Impact of Dams on Riparian Vegetation: A case study in the Chalakkudy River, Western Ghats, India. Journal of Aquatic Biology & Fisheries (8) 7-13. http://keralamarinelife.in/Journals/Vol8-S/2-Bachan&Devika.pdf
2. Amitha Bachan K.H. riparian flora of the Chalakkudy River basin and Its Ecological Significance. PhD Thesis. University of Calicut, Kerala
3. out of the 152 species known from Kerala.Ajithkumar, C.R., K.R. Devi, and K.R. Thomas (1999). ''Fish fauna, abundance and distribution in Chalakudy river system, Kerala.'' Journal of the Bombay Natural.
4. and 31 are either [[Vulnerable species. vulnerable]] (11 species), [[Endangered species
5. {{FishBase. (2016)