Tamil Nadu announced its first biodiversity heritage site

Tamil Nadu announced its first biodiversity heritage site : The state government on Tuesday notified 193.215 hectares of area spread across Arittapatti and Meenakshipuram villages in Madurai district as ‘Arittapatti Biodiversity Heritage Site’ under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. This is the first Biodiversity Heritage Site (BHS) notified in Tamil Nadu.

November 2022 Current Affairs Quiz

Biodiversity heritage sites are well-defined areas that are unique, ecologically fragile ecosystems with high diversity of wild and domesticated species, presence of rare and threatened species, and keystone species. The village Arittapatti consists of a chain of seven barren granite hillocks. The distinctive landscape of rocky hills acts as a watershed and supports 72 lakes, 200 natural spring pools, and three check dams. 

The site is situated in an area of 193.21 hectare. It is the first Biodiversity Heritage Site (BHS) to be notified in the state. The Arittapatti village is surrounded by a chain of seven barren granite hillocks. The site also features various megalithic structures.