Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve

Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve 
Why is Agasthyamalai in News?
A Supreme Court-directed examination of encroachments and non-forestry activities within the Agasthyamalai  Biosphere reserve landscape has led to the issue of eviction notices to thousands of households alleged to be occupying forest land.
The matter arose from a Supreme Court direction in March 2025 asking the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) to conduct an extensive survey of the Agasthyamalai landscape and identify non-forestry activities potentially violating the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 and the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. The CEC submitted an interim report in July 2025 and a final report in January 2026, following which the Court issued further directions.
Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve: Geographic & Ecological Significance
•    The ABR is located at the southernmost end of the Western Ghats, spanning about 3,500 sq. km across Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
•    It includes parts of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Idukki in Kerala and Tirunelveli, Kanniyakumari, Tenkasi, Theni and Dindigul in Tamil Nadu.
•    The landscape contains peaks reaching 1,868 m above sea level and is dominated by tropical forest ecosystems.
•    It is an important biogeographical hotspot within the Western Ghats and one of the diverse ecosystems of peninsular India.
•    The reserve contains around 2,254 species of higher plants, including about 405 endemic species.
•    It is also a significant genetic reservoir of cultivated plants, particularly cardamom, jamun, nutmeg, pepper and plantain.
•    Its recorded fauna includes approximately 79 mammals, 88 reptiles, 45 amphibians, 46 fish species and 337 bird species, with significant levels of endemism.
Protected Areas within the Landscape
The reserve includes or encompasses important protected areas, including:
•    Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve
•    Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary
•    Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary
•    Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary
The wider ABR landscape also includes Srivilliputhur-Megamalai Tiger Reserve and other protected forest areas on the Tamil Nadu side.
Why is Agasthyamalai Significant?
1. Biodiversity
Agasthyamalai forms part of the exceptionally biodiverse Western Ghats and contains substantial plant and animal endemism. Its forests are therefore important for conserving species found nowhere else.
2. Genetic Resources
Its role as a genetic reservoir of cultivated plants, including cardamom, pepper, nutmeg, jamun and plantain, gives the landscape importance beyond wildlife conservation.
3. Wildlife Conservation
The landscape connects several important protected areas and supports species requiring large and relatively intact forest habitats. Maintaining landscape connectivity is therefore crucial.
4. Tribal and Livelihood Significance
The reserve is home to Kani communities, whose traditional livelihoods are closely linked with forest biological resources. Conservation policy consequently has a significant community and livelihood dimension.
5. Cultural Significance
Agasthyamalai occupies an important place in the cultural heritage and history of southern India and has associations with the Ramayana, making parts of the landscape important pilgrimage and cultural sites.
6. Conservation Governance
The present controversy highlights a central challenge in environmental governance: how to protect ecologically sensitive landscapes while addressing the rights, livelihoods and rehabilitation needs of communities that have historically lived or worked within them.