Download Ithikkara River - India Biodiversity Portal

KBA Profile: Ithikkara River
National Site Name
Ithikkara River
English Name
KBA delineation
Catchment
Focal area delineation
No
Site description
The Ithikkara River is a small river draing the relatively low elevation Kulathhoopuzha hills
Kulathhoopuzha Hills, in the southern Western Ghats in Kerala. The catchment is impacted by
sand mining and is almost entirely converted to plantations, agriculture and urban areas, though
there are some remianing areas of riparian forest. The river empties into the brackish Paravur
Lake before reaching the Arabian Sea. In additon to containing a number of threatend freshwater
fishes, the KBA also supports an endemic species of freshwater shrimp (Macrobrachium
madhusoodani, DD) which is found in the lower reaches of the river.
Management required at
catchment scale
Yes
Management required at focal
area within catchment
No - the endmic species of shrimp requires catchment management
KBA Trigger Species
Group
Species
Criterion1
Criterion2
Criterion3
Fishes
Hyporhamphus
xanthopterus
VU
8414.933908
NA
Fishes
Monopterus
fossorius
EN
18181.75102
NA
Fishes
Pseudosphromenus
dayi
VU
16673.51639
NA
Fishes
Puntius mahecola
NA
16651.9995
NA
Molluscs
Paludomus
annandalei
NA
4088.831686
NA
Notes
Molluscs
Paludomus
sulcatus
NA
13988.01477
NA
Odonata
Epithemis mariae
NA
32143.88717
NA
Plants
Anaphalis
beddomei
VU
NA
NA
Plants
Dimeria
hohenackeri
EN
NA
NA
Plants
Farmeria
metzgerioides
VU
NA
NA
Shrimps
Macrobrachium
madhusoodani
NA
629.8519085
715
Endemic to KBA
Shrimps
Caridina jalihali
NA
NA
NA
New record for restricted rangee species (only other
record from type locality near Chennai). Will qualify
as restricted range (Criterion 2).
Plants
Anaphalis
leptophylla
VU
NA
NA
Plants
Anaphalis
wightiana
VU
NA
NA
Protected Areas Overlap with KBA
Name
Designation
Desig. Type
Status
PA Management Focus
Shendurney
Sanctuary
National
Designated
No freshwater biodiversity management
Western Ghats
World Heritage Site
International
Inscribed
No freshwater biodiversity management
Potential KBA Stakeholders*
Kerala State Biodiversity Board
River Research Center
SN College, Kollam
Fatima Matha National College, Kollam
Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, University of Kerala
M G College, Thiruvananthapuram
Zoological Survey of India, Western Ghats Regional Centre
KBA Freshwater Habitats
5.1 Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks(includes waterfalls)
5.4 Bogs Marshes Swamps Fens Peatlands[generally over 8ha]
5.7 Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools(under 8ha)
5.8 Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Marshes/Pools(under 8ha)
5.14 Permanent Saline Brackish or Alkaline Lakes
5.16 Permanent Saline Brackish or Alkaline Marshes/Pools
9.10 Estuaries
Threats to KBA
Threats (IUCN Classification
Scheme)
Notes
1.1 Housing & urban areas
1.2 Commercial & industrial areas
2.1 Annual & perennial non-timber
crops
Including oil palm plantations
3.2 Mining & quarrying
Sand mining from river. Clay mining in the lower catchment, and granite quarrying in the
upper catchment.
7.2 Dams & water management/use
Water extraction for drinking (Anchal)
7.3 Other ecosystem modifications
Water diversion from the river to artificial fish aquaculture ponds
9.1 Domestic & urban waste water
9.2 Industrial & military effluents
9.3 Agricultural & forestry effluents
9.4 Garbage & solid waste
Conservation actions for KBA
Conservation actions
(IUCN Classification
Scheme)
In
place
Needed
Notes
1.2 Resource & habitat
protection
Yes
Protection of shrimp habitats from sand and clay mining
2.1 Site/area management
Yes
Catchment management
3.1 Species management
Yes
Research into the endemic shrimp Macrobrachium madhusoodani, and
Caridina jalihali which is only known from this KBA and another location
near Chennai.
4.1 Formal education
Yes
Local Panchayats, plantation owners
4.2 Training
Yes
Clay and sand mining companies
4.3 Awareness &
communications
Yes
All stakeholders
5.3 Private sector standards
& codes
Yes
Sand, Clay and Granite mining, and plantations
5.4 Compliance and
enforcement
Yes
Implementation of Wetland (Conservation and Management) Act 2010 &
Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974.
Food Security
Used for food security
Score
Notes
1. Subsistence
Optional/alternative
2
Essential staple
2
Emergency
0
2. Commercial
Local
2
Regional
1
National
0
3.Migrant fishers
1
Notes
Mostly fish
Other
Other biodiversity
Protected areas
overview
References
1. Jayachandran, K.V. 2001. Palaemonid prawns - biodiveristy, taxonomy, biology and management. Science
Publishers Inc., USA.
2. Jayachandran, K.V., Thomas, T. and Raji, A.V. 2008. Caridinian shrimp resources of Kerala waters.
Proceedings of Indian National Science Academy. 74(2):47-50.
3. River Research Centre. 2013. Report on Monitoring of Fish Diversity of Rivers in Kerala. Kerala State
Biodiversity Board, Thiruvananthapuram. 98 pp.
4. Unnikrishan,V., Pillai, P.M. and Jayachandran, K.V. 2011. Macrobrachium madhusoodani sp. nov.
(Decapoda, Palaemonidae) from Ithikkara River, Kerala, India. Crustaceana 84: 123-124.
Acknowledgments
Ali, A., Amitha Bachan, K.H., Anatha, L., Dahanukar, N., Jayachandran, K.V., Molur, S., Nameer, P.O.,
Raghavan, R., Subbramanian, K.A., Rehel, S.M. and Vinod, T.R.
* Potential KBA stakeholders have not been contacted in any official capacity nor have they endorsed the KBA – they are a list of
potential stakeholders to inform any organisation or individual who may want to undertake conservation activities on freshwater
biodiversity in this KBA