Nashik is often identified as a holy city in Western India with mythological, historical and archaeological importance. Situated on the banks of the Godavari River, Nashik is best known for being a Hindu pilgrimage site, which is also one of the four cities that hosts the massive Sinhastha Kumbh Mela once every twelve years. Historical evidence from Ramayana, Pandavas and Marathas makes Nashik a historical treasure. Nowadays, Nashik is mainly known as the ‘Wine Capital of India’ as half of India’s vineyards and wineries are located in Nashik.
However, not many know that Nashik is also a Biodiversity Hotspot. Nashik lies in the northern part of Maharashtra state at 700 m (2,300 ft) from the sea level, surrounded by lush mountainous terrain. The giant Brahmagiri Mountain is the origin of the river Godavari. The district also lies on the western edge of the Deccan Plateau which is a volcanic formation. The primarily black soil in the region is favourable for agriculture. The area is blessed with a pleasant climate most time of the year. The period from June to September is the (South West) monsoon season. Nashik lies in the northernmost part of the world-famous Western Ghats. The Western Ghats, also known as the Sahyadri Hills, are well known for their rich and unique assemblage of flora and fauna.
Owing to their high level of endemism in vertebrate and plant species, the Western Ghats of India is considered one of the 36 hotspots of biodiversity recognized globally. They run continuously parallel to the west coast of India spread over six states – Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu traversing a length of about 1600 km. The area of about 175,000 sq. km of these mountain ranges contains tropical rain forests on their slopes. In Maharashtra, the Western Ghats runs along nine districts of Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Raigad, Thane, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Pune, Satara and Kolhapur, which has ecological importance.
The Western Ghats in Nashik stretch from north to south across the western portion of the district which is hilly and the slope of the ghats is drained by several rivers, including the Daman Ganga, Vaitarana, Bhima, Girana, Kashyapi and Darana, which drains westwards to the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats in Maharashtra start from the Baglaan range, situated north of Nashik district, which borders with Dang district in Gujarat.
Nashik has been blessed with immense biodiversity with variation at the genetic, species, and ecosystem levels. We have several different habitats like forests, grasslands, and wetlands around the city where different life forms exist. A forest is an area with a good density of trees, shrubs, climbers and herbs. They function as homes for all forms of living organisms, act as modulators for underground waters and as well help in soil conservation.
The Moist Deciduous forest is the prominent forest type of Nashik, rich in biodiversity and mainly situated near the part of Western Ghats where rainfall is normally higher, notably in areas adjoining Vaitarna Lake, Trimbakeshwar, Anjaneri, Igatpuri, Peint, Harsul, Surgana, etc. The main tree species are Teak, Asana, Jamun, Mango, Bamboo, Mahua and different species of Ficus. The top predator Indian Leopard has a healthy population in our forests along with several species of mammals, birds, insects, herbs, reptiles, amphibians, which co-exists. Each season is different in the forest areas, and one can notice the biodiversity transform seasonally.
Monsoons in Nashik are very special, especially for nature lovers. Monsoon is the time when everything has turned green and brings life everywhere. Right from tiny ants building nests, the flowering of rare endemic herbs, emerging crabs from the ground after a long hibernation, multiplying of insects to the nesting of birds, in addition to the courtship displays of our national bird. Monsoon flora emerges, and one can pursue wild flowers while being outdoors. During the first week of the season, a million Pink-striped Lilies bloom and brighten up the area near Borgad Conservation Reserve, which lies east of Nashik.
There are three varieties of Karvi that bloom every seven years, and also rare monsoon flora like species of Ceropegia that are endemic to Western Ghats are found in these forests. The rarest of them known as Ceropegia anjanerica, named after the mountain Anjaneri is only found on top of that hill and nowhere else in the world. Reptiles like Bamboo Pit Viper, Green Keelback, Bronzeback Tree Snake, Checkered Keelback, Green Vine Snake, etc., make their presence felt.
Monsoon also gets the summer migratory birds like Jacobin Cuckoo (Chatak) from Africa as they come here to breed in our forests. Birds like Malabar Whistling Thrush, Indian Blackbird, and Orange-headed Thrush also are seen in monsoon as they arrive to breed. The departing monsoon leaves a colourful trail of monsoon flowers on the slopes and is the best time of the year for watching butterflies. During this season, a host of plants grow abundantly all over vacant lots. This is the time when butterfly activity is at its peak. The state butterfly of Maharashtra – Blue Mormon is a common sight around Nashik, along with Common Mormon, Striped Tiger, Yellow Orange Tip, Sahyadri Blue Oakleaf, varieties of Pansy butterflies, etc., make our forests very colourful.
The forests have a very different charm in winters. The forests are very colourful during this time, as many trees are flowering. There is an ample amount of food available for the creatures and hence the most active season of the year. Pollinating birds like sunbirds, flowerpeckers, leaf birds, barbets gather around the flowering trees to take nectar and play a crucial role in pollination. Birds migrate from different parts of the world and make Nashik their home in winters.
Tiny birds like Warblers, who eat about 100 insects per day and help control the insect population, migrate from the Himalayas and reside in our forests during this time. Colourful birds like Blue-headed Rock Thrush, Common Rosefinch, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Verditer Flycatcher, Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher brighten up the forests in winter along with birds of prey like Common Kestrel, Montagu’s Harrier. The winter is the breeding time of resident birds of prey.
The rarest birds like the Indian Vulture (who nests on mountain cliffs) and White-backed Vulture (nests on tall trees) can be seen collecting nesting material and raising their young ones during winters. Nashik has the highest number of Vultures in Maharashtra after their catastrophic decline in the 90s due to the veterinary drug Diclofenac. Vultures are scavengers and play a key role in cleaning our environment.
Another rare raptor known as Forest Owlet was discovered in Nashik’s Trimbak range in 2016. The bird has only around 200 individuals left all over the world and is endemic to central India was found after enormous conservation efforts taken by Mr Bishwarup Raha and his team. They too breed in winters, and as of now, Nashik has four individuals of them. Other resident raptors that breed in winters are Bonelli’s Eagle, Egyptian Vulture, Laggar Falcon, Shaheen Falcon, Jungle Owlet, Indian Eagle Owl, Oriental Honey Buzzard, etc. Raptors being the top predators they are often considered indicators of a good forest ecosystem.
In summers, many forest trees are fruiting, and the deciduous trees get back their leaf cover, thus supporting birds and other wildlife from harsh summer conditions. Many birds depend on fruits for their diet and sustain themselves by feeding on them. The state bird of Maharashtra – Yellow-footed Green Pigeon who is a great seed disperser breeds around this time of the year and is a common sight in our forest areas.
The region succumbs to anthropogenic pressures such as urbanization, industrialization, and vast agriculture. In this connection, it is important to have an intensive biodiversity study of this region. We need to identify areas for conservation and underline the need for environmental impact assessments for developmental projects. Several other threats to wildlife are hunting, over-grazing, deforestation, forest fires, water pollution, illegal and haphazard mining. Awareness is the key to conservation, one must be aware of their surroundings.
– Pratiksha Kothule, Nature Conservation Society of Nashik
