Environmental activists and local residents have urged the Tamil Nadu government to strengthen protection for several sites of archaeological, ecological and biodiversity significance across Madurai and Theni districts.
The demand gained prominence during gram sabha meetings held across Melur taluk in Madurai as part of the 80th Independence Day celebrations, where environmental and heritage conservation featured among the common resolutions.
Activists have identified at least 11 sites in Madurai that they believe deserve greater protection, including Kottaimalai, Aruvimalai, Somagiri, Kallangadu and Vellimalai in Melur, as well as Mondrumalai, Poigaimalai, Onankaradu, Malai Kovil Kadu, Samanatham and Idayapatti.
They have called for several of these locations to be declared Biodiversity Heritage Sites, similar to Arittapatti and Meenakshipuram in Madurai and Kasampatty in neighbouring Dindigul district. Among the sites highlighted by activists, Kallangadu in the Melur region has emerged as a particular concern.
Activist K. Selvaraj said the area contains ancient temples, a sacred grove and a diverse range of plant species. The landscape is also home to wildlife including deer, slender lorises, monitor lizards, peafowl, mongoose, jungle cats and several bird species.
According to Selvaraj, petitions have already been submitted seeking biodiversity heritage status for Kallangadu. However, he alleged that plans to establish a SIPCOT industrial facility in the region were progressing without adequately considering its archaeological and ecological importance.
Activists have urged authorities to assess the area’s heritage and biodiversity value before permitting further development.
Conservationists have also proposed establishing a new slender loris sanctuary across the Melur Singampunari region of Madurai and Sivaganga districts.
The proposal is modelled on the Slender Loris Sanctuary in the Kadavur-Ayyalur region spanning Dindigul and Karur districts. Activists said similar conservation measures could help protect slender loris populations and their habitat in southern Tamil Nadu. Samanatham Tank in Madurai has also been identified as an important wetland ecosystem, with calls for it to be declared a bird sanctuary.
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, during suo motu proceedings concerning the tank, noted that the wetland supports more than 150 bird species, including several threatened species.
These include the Oriental Darter, Painted Stork, Black-headed Ibis, Spot-billed Pelican, Black tailed Godwit, Bar tailed Godwit, River Tern and Osprey.
The court, however observed that declaring the tank a bird sanctuary was a decision to be taken by the government based on recommendations from competent authorities and expert assessments.
In Theni district, activists have sought protection for Meenakshipuram Tank in Ammapatti panchayat, Bodinayakanur taluk, either as a bird sanctuary or a community reserve.
A recent survey recorded 56 bird species at the tank, including Oriental Darters, Asian Openbills, Grey Herons, Eurasian Spoonbills, Black-winged Stilts, Spot billed Pelicans, several egret species, kingfishers and waterbirds.
Activists believe systematic surveys across different seasons could reveal a much higher diversity, potentially recording more than 150 species. Jakkammal Karadu in Andipatti, Theni district, has been identified as another site requiring urgent protection.
The hill and its surroundings contain evidence of human activity spanning several periods. Neolithic stone tools and Megalithic pottery fragments have reportedly been found in the area.
The site also contains white-pigmented cave paintings attributed to the Megalithic period, a ninth century sculpture of a Tirthankara and a roughly 400 year old hero stone.
Activists have therefore urged the government to declare Jakkammal Karadu both an archaeological protected monument and a Biodiversity Heritage Site.
Tamil Nadu notified Arittapatti and Meenakshipuram in Madurai as the State’s first Biodiversity Heritage Site in 2022. The protected area covers 139.63 hectares in Arittapatti and 53.8 hectares in Meenakshipuram.
In 2025, Kasampatty sacred grove in Dindigul was notified as the State’s second Biodiversity Heritage Site.
Activists argue that extending similar recognition to ecologically and archaeologically significant landscapes in Madurai and Theni could help safeguard biodiversity while preserving cultural and historical remains.
They have called for detailed ecological and archaeological assessments of the identified sites before infrastructure and industrial projects are taken forward.