5.1.4 Habitat Values for Rare or Endangered Species

Due to depletion of number of Mugger in the wild, a scheme was prepared for the conservation of the Crocodile in the State of Andhra Pradesh and was implemented from 1976-77 onwards. A Central rearing station was setup at Hyderabad in which Mugger Crocodile, Salt Water Crocodile and Gharials were reared. Out of them the Mugger crocodile have been released in Krishna River (Plate 3) in Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve and in Chandravanka river near Ethipothalla water falls. The success of this scheme has been indicated by the fact that crocodiles released in the year 1977 at Ethipothalla have bred during 1981. This has been the first instance of its kind in the entire country. Ethipothalla falling within 25 km radial zone of the Nuclear Power Project provides a unique habitat in the sense that it has aided in the conservation of dwindling populations of crocodiles in the wild.

Nagarjunasagar Reservoir with the water spread of 290 km2 and a maximum water depth of approximately 192 m has reported occurrences of several aquatic species. Of these Demoiselle crane and Bar headed geese are frequently sighted species of bird. Although no published reports of other aquatic species from Nagarjunasagar are available, presence of aquatic species cannot be ruled out as such large water storage reservoirs do support fairly diverse aquatic fauna. This fact has been adequately substantiated by the aquatic values of Periyar lake, a reservoir formed by a dam on the Periyar river, Peechi dam reservoir and Parambikulam dam reservoir in Kerala and Tawa reservoir in Madhya Pradesh. It is for their wetland values, that these reservoirs have been included as parts of the sanctuaries wherever these have been formed near existing PA's or have been granted the status of atleast a sanctuary in the areas where they are not located in the vicinity of existing conservation units. Jayakawadi Reservoir in Maharashtra and Peppara Dam Reservoir in Kerala are examples of situations where the water bodies have been declared as sanctuaries for the conservation of their wetland values (Anon., 1993b). In contrast to this, the proposed Nuclear Power Station project is offering a reverse situation of deleting the reservoir area from within the existing sanctuary (Plate 4).