Lingambudhi Lake

Lingambudhi Lake

Lingambudhi Lake when dry

Lingambudhi Lake is a lake in the city of Mysore, India.^[1]

Mysore city has three healthy and surviving water bodies-Kukkarahalli, Karanji & Lingambudhi, supporting moderate bio-diversity. Among them, Lingambudhi stands first in terms of richness entirely due to its location bordering growing city. Lingambudhi lake is a perennial freshwater lake situated in the basin of River Cauvery. Since its construction in 1828 until the late 1980s, Lingambudhi lake was a typical village lake in the rural surroundings of the city of Mysore.Now this lake is close to a residential area called Srirampura. The lake was serving as a source of drinking water, irrigation, and fish produce; as a site for washing clothes and cattle; and as a place of religious worship for the people of Lingambudhi Palya, a village in the vicinity of the lake. A notification from the DCs office dated 28 August 2003, in response to the Forest Department’s proposal of 2001, had finally declared the Lingambudhi lake and its environs as a protected forest area and had transferred the ownership to the Forest Department. This was one of the significant milestones in the history of Lingambudhi lake which now enjoys the status of a protected forest. (Manjunath Sadashiva, 2007)

Topography

One and half decade back Lingambudhi Lake was in the outskirts of Mysore City, but now it is engulfed on all the sides by the extending city dwellings. The lake is geographically located at 12° 16’ 20” N and 76° 31’E to the southwest of Mysore city at an altitude of 730m above mean sea level. From the city center, the lake is situated at a distance of 7 km.

Historical records document that Lingambudhi lake was excavated in 1828 by Lingajammani, a queen of Krishnaraja Wodeyar III, ruler of the erstwhile kingdom of Mysore as part of building the Mahalingeshwara temple and as an act of thanksgiving to the local female deity Shri Chamundeshwari. It has a catchment area of 45 km². The lake was well outside the city limits when first census (1988) was conducted, but now (2011) is swallowed up on all the sides. During the years of study number of brick manufacturing units that were present have come down to nil from twenty. Lake fringe that was without trees coverage in the beginning of the observation has grown into a thicket by 1997–98 courtesy State forest departments’ social forestry scheme and began thinning by 2002–03 due to firewood collection and natural death of fast growing trees that were planted. Forest department officially declared the lake spread over 217 acres, as Lingambudhi Bird Sanctuary in 2001.

Tropical dry deciduous, secondary scrub and semi arid grass land is the habitat covering the area followed by irrigated fields during good rainy season. Pongamia pinnata, Acacia spp, Mangifera indica, Syzygium cumini, Ziziphus spp are some that are in abundance here. Downstream of water flow as well part of shoreline is covered by Typha, Scripus, Pandanus and Phoenix spp. Lake fringes that was without trees coverage (1988) when earlier studies begun by individual birders and NGOs. Lakes surroundings grown into a thicket by 1997–98, courtesy State forest departments’ social forestry scheme. Reduction in tree density was observed during 2002–03 due to ageing process and firewood collection. But, forestation thereafter in open grassland and shore lineresulted in reducing terrestrial and wader’s habitat.

Birds

Lake was once considered as the flying highway of winter migratory birds. Variety of migratory birds used to arrive and congregate (22,000 in year 1995) in September third week and then gets spread out. Again, just before summer, March–April, spread out birds started arriving from different directions, to assemble and fly back towards northern direction to their breeding ground. Water birds congregating were: garganey, shoveller, common teal, pintail, common sandpiper, spotted sandpiper, green sandpiper, gull billed tern, black bellied tern, black headed gull, brown headed gull, European roller, Pallas's grasshopper warbler, Eurasian curlew, Terek sandpiper, curlew sandpiper, pied avocet, thick-billed green pigeon (possible escapee), verditer flycatcher, Tickell’s green leaf warbler, red-necked phalarope are some of the rare birds observed over a decade and half. A total of around 210 birds ^[2] have been spotted here.

Breeding activity of pelicans, spoonbills, ibises, grey herons and cormorants were recorded here for two consecutive years, 2000 and 2001. Episode of birds’ death too has been observed here.

Altering the sanctuary entirely to cater the need of human beings has threatened the healthy habitat of migratory birds. In next move, only two species of seedling; Pongamia pinnata and a variety of bamboo was introduced in entire sanctuary (monoculture). Within next five years entire area wore green look attracting few new arboreal birds but at the cost of water birds (both migratory and local) and existing plant species.

North-western part of the lake bed is dominant of only two species of Sesbania sesban and Acacia suma. In last few months, variety of plant species have been introduced. But, already encroached shoreline has driven away the waders.

Lake got completely filled once in last one decade. Twice, there were reports of fish and birds death. Meanwhile, the lake has been designated as important bird area (IN-KA-22)^[3] for the priority of conservation. Lake bed used to host very rare migratory birds during winter that are unusually seen in inland. This lake is considered as one of the flyway route adopted by the migratory birds from Central Asia and Eastern Europe. The lake environ is the only known regular breeding site of the Indian spotted eagle Aquila hastate. The spot-billed pelicans Pelecanus philippensis large congregation was observed during 13.3.1999 to 6.4.1999 (maximum 400 nos on 28.3.1999) and 28.3.2002 to 6.5.2002 (maximum 522 nos. on 13.4.2002). Though numerous lakes are found in Mysore area, pelicans and darters chose only few selective ones for foraging.

Era of Digital photography resulted in finding a few rare migrants and local birds’ proper identification and authentication that made the check list more elaborative. It was the Lake’s location as a habitat accommodating many listed residents and migratory birds had influenced the Outer Ring Road realignment decision in order to protect the Lake.

Butterflies

Study over a period of a decade has resulted in observation of 107 species^[4] representing all the five families. Occasionally rare butterflies like the chestnut streaked sailer (photo), gaudy baron and peacock royal have been recorded. Abundance, seasonal variation and encounter frequency have been depicted below.

On a single day 54 species of butterflies were recorded in 2001. Vegetation, mainly supporting butterfly population like Cadaba spp, Critalaria spp, Cassis spp, and variety of grasses was abundant at that time. Distortion and distraction caused while laying huge sewage lines and clearing undergrowth to facilitate public utility has led to diminishing of species. Being part of Mysore area, Lingambudhi also experiences, pre & post monsoon danaids butterfly migration (located in the plains between eastern and western ghat, where migration is documented). Thicket that provides incessant shade throughout the day provides shelter to these migratory butterflies roosting.

Bus Stops

• Rabindranth Tagore Layout
• University Layout
• Ring Road
• Lingam Budhi Palaya
• Mysore Organic Farms
• Arivu School
• New College
• Lake Walk
• Old Age Home
• Mahagir Properties
• Preethi Layout
• Builders Association
• Srirampura second

References

External links

• Mysore Nature|Lingambudhi Lake
• Mysore Nature | Lingambudhi Lake | Bird Checklist
• Mysore Nature | Lingambudhi Lake | Butterfly Checklist