Saturday, September 03, 2011

The Silent Valley - Wettest place in Kerala and Third wettest belt in India

The Silent Valley is a small plateau located on the southwestern corner of the Nilgiri Hills, a part of the Western Ghats hill chain in southern peninsular India. This forested plateau is the point of origin of the Kunthi river which joins the west-flowing Bharathapuzha. The Silent Valley also forms the core area of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Silent Valley symbolises hope for all the people who stand up for nature, and remains a beacon for rainforests everywhere. Thus it is no longer merely the name of a place but part of a universal vocabulary as a word that indicates an untrammeled wilderness that would last beyond human greed and willful destruction, and protected through the efforts of the people sustained by hope.

The conservation of entire Silent Valley forest area is vital to ensure the perennial flow of water through the Bharathapuzha, the Bhavani and the Cauvery providing water to Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The Kunthipuzha, which originates from the Silent Valley National Park area, is the main source of water for Bharathapuzha, Kerala’s longest river. It provides drinking and irrigation water to the districts of Palakkad, Malappuram and Thrissur. A tributary of the Bhavani that originates on the eastern side of the Silent Valley forest area is the perennial source of water for this major inter-State river. Its protection is vital for drinking water and irrigation water projects in a couple of districts of Tamil Nadu. It later empties into the Cauvery.

Thus the protection of the Silent Valley and its adjacent forests that form the core area of the Nilgiri Biosphere is vital for the peaceful sharing of the water sources of three major rivers by the three neighboring States. This major benefit to the people of three States is the best justification for the struggle for the protection of the Silent Valley and its adjoining buffer zone covering an area of 237.52 sq km.

The Park comprises essentially two parallel south-sloping valleys. The western Kunthi valley is part of the basin of the west-draining Bharathapuzha. The eastern, Bhavani Valley is part of the basin of the east-flowing Cauvery. In the estimation of scientists, the Silent Valley evergreen rainforest is more than 50 million years old. It is perhaps the only remaining undisturbed tropical rainforest in peninsular India. The flora and fauna here are quite unique. The Silent Valley’s dark and cool ambience, vibrating with life, has been described as “the richest expression of life on earth” and a “cradle of evolution.” “Silent Valley is not just an evergreen forest, it is a very fine example of one of the richest, most threatened and least studied habitats on earth.” Thus, it is the “sacred grove” for the world, and a gene pool of rare flora and fauna. This precious chunk of dense forest is perhaps India’s last, largest and oldest tropical rainforest remaining undisturbed, undisturbed because of its relative inaccessibility, oldest because its age is estimated to be 50 million years.

Wettest Rainfall belts in India

  1. Cherrapunji and Mawsynram in Meghlaya - Annual Rainfall of 10000 - 12000 mm
  2. Agumbe and Hulikal in Karnataka - Annual Rainfall of 7500 - 8500 mm
  3. Walakkad, Poochippara and Silent Valley in Kerala - Annual Rainfall of 7000 - 8000 mm
  4. Amboli, Gaganbawada and Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra - Annual Rainfall of 6000 - 7500 mm

The Silent Valley National Park, gets one of the highest or even the highest average annual rainfall in the Western Ghats, data for the past 10 years show.

Available Rainfall data in the Silent Valley in past 10 years in mm


The Silent Valley gets continuous rain for six to seven months a year. In the remaining months, mist shrouds the valley, which is estimated to yield 15 per cent of the water generated in the rainforest, with both the north-east and south-west monsoons blessing the valley.

Source: Compilation from The Hindu

For more stats visit http://tamilnaduweatherman.blogspot.com/

india_sat_600x405.jpg

Its raining in mumbai quite a heavy drizzle
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone

Its Amgaon all the way- All India SWM toppers from 01.06.11 to 31.08.11

What else to say there is only one Champion in SWM 2011 ie Amgaon in Karnataka, the new Cherrapunji of Peninsular India, leaving all other way behind by around 600 mm. There are few other competitions like this, Federer vs Nadal in Tennis or the Seabiscuit vs War Admiral in Horse racing. Kollur vs Agumbe in Karnataka and Kitwade and Dajipur in Maharashtra are grinding out each other.

Maharashtra has 39 stations, Karnataka has 35 stations and Meghalaya, Tamil Nadu and Goa one each in the list.


All India SWM toppers from 01.06.2011 to 31.08.2011 (90 days)

Rainfall in mm's (Min 4000 mm)
  1. Amgaon (Karnataka) - 7178
  2. Kitwade (Maharashtra) - 6509
  3. Dajipur (Maharashtra) - 6469 
  4. Kollur (Karnataka) - 6309
  5. Agumbe (Karnataka) - 6211
  6. Hardkhala (Maharashtra) - 6016 
  7. Kanakumbi (Karnataka) - 5940
  8. Sangameshwar (Maharashtra) -5911
  9. Kogar (Karnataka) - 5806
  10. Gaganbawada (Maharashtra) - 5695
  11. Castle Rock (Karnataka) - 5632
  12. Mulshi (Maharashtra) - 5304 
  13. Gavali (Karnataka) - 5287
  14. Mahabaleshwar (Maharashtra) - 5287
  15. Bandal (Karnataka) - 5196
  16. Cherrapunji (Meghalaya) - 5183
  17. Talacauvery (Karnataka) - 5127
  18. Lajul (Maharashtra) - 5097
  19. Patagon (Maharashtra) - 5055
  20. Kerveshe (Karnataka) - 4847
  21. Mulikar (Karnataka) - 4809
  22. Bhira (Maharashtra) - 4800
  23. Kasari (Maharashtra) - 4750
  24. Amasebail (Karnataka) - 4682
  25. Radhanagri Dam (Maharashtra) - 4656
  26. Aralagod (Karnataka) - 4655 
  27. Kadra (Karnataka) - 4589
  28. Nandivase (Maharashtra) - 4576 
  29. Surlabhi (Karnataka) - 4567
  30. Hosangadi (Karnataka) - 4527
  31. Koyna Dam (Maharashtra) - 4524
  32. Albadi (Karnataka) - 4516
  33. Soliwade (Maharashtra) - 4461 
  34. Naravi (Karnataka) - 4413
  35. Latwan (Maharashtra) - 4407
  36. Lonavala (Maharashtra) - 4365
  37. Malgund (Maharashtra) - 4344 
  38. Halady (Karnataka) - 4340
  39. Siddapura (Karnataka) - 4340
  40. Gerosoppa (Karnataka) - 4320
  41. Dapoli (Maharashtra) - 4289
  42. Sanglat (Maharashtra) - 4288
  43. Karambavne (Maharashtra) - 4258
  44. Karak (Maharashtra) - 4203
  45. Gokarna (Karnataka) - 4195
  46. Naladi (Karnataka) - 4191
  47. Gulvane (Maharashtra) - 4189
  48. Chiplun (Maharashtra) -4188
  49. Shirgaon (Maharashtra) - 4185 
  50. Konhawali (Maharashtra) - 4168
  51. Tulshi Lake (Maharashtra) - 4158
  52. Mandangad (Maharashtra) - 4156
  53. Poynar (Maharashtra) - 4140 
  54. Nasarpur (Maharashtra) - 4131
  55. Pathardi (Maharashtra) - 4131
  56. Sulkeri (Karnataka) - 4118 
  57. Katagal (Karnataka) - 4101
  58. Kedinje (Karnataka) - 4094
  59. Ajekar (Karnataka) - 4092
  60. Kudup (Maharashtra) - 4091 
  61. Sunkasal (Karnataka) - 4087
  62. Pawas (Maharashtra) - 4087 
  63. Umgaon (Maharashtra) - 4085
  64. Valpoi (Goa) - 4080
  65. Kankavli (Maharashtra) - 4066
  66. Puttige (Karnataka) - 4054
  67. Tillari (Maharashtra) - 4051
  68. Chinna Kallar (Tamil Nadu) - 4030
  69. Bhagamandala (Karnataka) - 4020
  70. Rajapur (Maharashtra) - 4014
  71. Vaibhavwadi (Maharashtra) - 4000 
  72. Kumbharkhani (Maharashtra) - 4000
  73. Mallikarjuna (Karnataka) - 4000 
  74. Hosakere (Karnataka) - 4000
  75. Chapoli (Karnataka) - 4000
  76. Vendse (Karnataka) - 4000
  77. Megaravalli (Karnataka) - 4000 
Places such as Tamini, Hulikal, Mawsynarm, Amboli, Poochippara and Walakkad would have also made above 4000 mm list.