Conservationists Seek Heritage Status for Four-Acre Agaramthen Sacred Grove Near Tambaram

Residents and conservationists have urged authorities to declare the four-acre Agaramthen Sacred Grove near Agaramthen Wetland as a Biodiversity Heritage Site to protect it from rapid urbanisation. Located about eight kilometres southeast of Tambaram Junction, the site is one of the few surviving sacred groves in the Greater Chennai region.

The grove is revered locally as the abode of Kanni Amman and supports neighbouring communities, including a nearby Irula settlement. A recent biodiversity survey carried out at the site documented 222 species, establishing crucial baseline data for its preservation.

According to the survey, the four-acre habitat hosts 102 plant species, 60 bird species, 23 reptile and amphibian species, seven mammal species, and 30 butterfly species. Researchers highlighted that the area had not been comprehensively documented prior to this study.

The independent study was conducted by Agaramthen resident Thirumurugan Vedagiri alongside researchers Patrisha, Krishnaveni, and Karthy. The team worked under the guidance of G. Gnanasekaran, assistant professor in the Department of Botany at Madras Christian College, and Nehru Prabakaran from the Wildlife Institute of India.

Mr. Vedagiri noted that the sacred grove is coming under severe environmental stress due to vegetation clearing, garbage and plastic dumping, pollution, and habitat fragmentation. He added that the conversion of surrounding agricultural and open lands into residential plots has intensified the strain on the remaining green space.

Highlighting the broader need for conservation, Mr. Gnanasekaran drew parallels with his earlier work at the Sendiraikillai sacred grove in Chidambaram district. He observed that when community reverence and protection weaken over time, such forest patches risk degradation and unlawful activities.

Mr. Gnanasekaran stressed that as Chennai continues to expand, protecting small forest patches like the Agaramthen grove is critical not only for biodiversity conservation but also for sustaining the local cultural traditions and community practices linked to them.