Karanji Lake#Aviary

Karanji Lake was one of the favourite haunts of migratory birds like herons and egrets. But the lake started getting polluted when sewage from the nearby residential areas were let into the lake. This pollution led to the destruction of aquatic life in the lake and with the food-source getting depleted, the migratory birds started to avoid the lake.

File:Fountain Karanji Mysore Nov23 A7C 08190.jpg

In order to prevent the destruction of this lake and to renovate it, help was sought from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation (KUIDFC) and Zoo Authority of Karnataka (ZAK). These three organisations came together and undertook the restoration activities of this lake. Financial help of Rs. 12 million was provided by ADB and ZAK undertook the restoration work with the co-ordination of KUIDFC.

The first step undertaken was to stop the sewage from entering the lake. Other restoration activities included removal of polluted silt, de-weeding of the entire lake surface, removing 30 cm of silt from the lake, restoration of feeder channels, construction of a jetty to start boating facility, and the construction of a bridge to the newly created 'butterfly park'. A watch tower was also constructed to view the birds and study their behaviour. A giant fountain which can spew water up to 40 feet has been recently added as an attraction. A nursery of medicinal plants is also present here.

The aviary constructed on the shore of the lake has a height of 20 m, length of 60 m and width of 40 m making it India's biggest walk-through aviary.{{cite web|url=http://www.deccanherald.com/archives/mar012005/spt3.asp|author=Aruna Chandaraju|title=Beauty and the birds|work=Online Edition of the Deccan Herald, dated 2005-03-01|publisher=2005, The Printers (Mysore) Private Ltd.|access-date=2007-05-16}} The aviary was set up at a cost of Rs 3.8 million. It includes an artificial water fall and two small water bodies. Water from the Karanji lake is pumped inside the aviary in the form of a stream while the used water is discharged into the lake.{{cite web|url=http://www.deccanherald.com/archives/may032004/s10.asp|title=Beauty and the birds|work=Online Edition of the Deccan Herald, dated 2004-05-03|publisher=2004, The Printers (Mysore) Private Ltd.|access-date=2007-05-16}} It has about 40–50 birds of 17 species. Hornbills, peacocks, white-peacocks, turkeys and black swans are some of the birds found in this aviary. This aviary was temporarily closed in the year 2006 to prevent the break-out of bird flu.{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2006/02/24/stories/2006022411520300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060303065113/http://www.hindu.com/2006/02/24/stories/2006022411520300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2006-03-03|title= Steps taken against bird flu|access-date=2007-05-16|location=Chennai, India|work=The Hindu|date=2006-02-24}}

File:White Peacock Head Neck Karanji Mysore Dec23 A7C 08377.jpg

File:Peacock at Karanji.jpg

Some of the common migratory birds found here are grey pelican, painted stork, ibis, cormorant, egret, etc. which nest on trees in the islands present in the lake. Recent survey of birds have indicated 147 species. Indian peacocks and peahens are the most common birds present here, given that it is the National bird of India.{{cite web |url=http://www.mysorenature.org/karanji/bird-checklist |title=Bird Checklist - Mysore Nature |website=www.mysorenature.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425151204/http://www.mysorenature.org/karanji/bird-checklist |archive-date=2012-04-25}} Herons, Asian open bill storks, egrets, red wattle lapwing, sandpipers, rose ringed parakeet, black drongo, brown shrike, red-whiskered bulbul, booted warbler, sunbird and greenish warbler are some of the other species of birds found here.{{cite web |url=http://www.mysorenature.org/karanji |title=Karanji - Mysore Nature |website=www.mysorenature.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515120457/http://www.mysorenature.org/karanji |archive-date=2012-05-15}} {{cite web|url=http://www.mysorezoo.in/contents.php?page_id=7|title=Mysore Zoo|work=Online Webpage of the Mysore Zoo|access-date=2007-05-15|archive-date=28 September 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928004135/http://www.mysorezoo.in/contents.php?page_id=7|url-status=dead}}

File:Bench Butterfly Park Mysore Aug24 A7CR 02123.jpg

The butterfly park has been created on a small island within the Karanji lake. About 45 species of butterflies have been identified here.{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2004/06/06/stories/2004060606860300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041230213403/http://www.hindu.com/2004/06/06/stories/2004060606860300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2004-12-30|title= India's largest aviary coming up in Mysore|access-date=2007-05-16|location=Chennai, India|work=The Hindu|date=2004-06-06}} With the help of a botanist, appropriate species of host plants and nectar plants essential for the breeding of butterflies were selected and planted within the island. These plants have also been brought from hillstations and other regions like Malnad.{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2006/05/20/stories/2006052005040200.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023163219/http://www.hindu.com/2006/05/20/stories/2006052005040200.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-10-23|title=Plan to attract more butterflies at park|access-date=2007-05-16|location=Chennai, India|work=The Hindu|date=2006-05-20}}

File:Main Building RMNH Mysore Aug24 A7CR 02127.jpg

{{Main article|Regional Museum of Natural History Mysore}}

The Regional Museum of Natural History was inaugurated on 20 May 1995. The broad objectives of the Museum are:{{cite web|url=http://nmnh.nic.in/mysore.htm|title=Regional Museum of Natural History, Mysore|work=Online webpage of the National Museum of Natural History|access-date=2007-05-15}}

• Depict floral, faunal and geological wealth of the southern region of India.
• Depict ecological interrelationship among plants and animals with emphasis on conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
• Provide facility for school children on curriculum-based studies in biology and geology with emphasis on environmental aspect.
• Develop programs for masses to create environmental awareness

• Mysore City lakes
• Mysore East

Karinji Lake Park Mysore.jpg|One of the paths in the park

File:Karanji Lake (5285632446).jpg|Karanji Lake

Image:Karanji peacock.jpg|Peacock in the aviary at Karanji lake

Image:Karanji swans.jpg|Swans in the aviary at Karanji lake

{{Commons category}}

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.mysorenature.org/karanji Mysore Nature| Karanji Lake] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181112004642/http://www.mysorenature.org/karanji |date=12 November 2018 }}
• [http://www.mysorenature.org/karanji/bird-checklist Mysore Nature| Karanji Lake | Bird Checklist] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425151204/http://www.mysorenature.org/karanji/bird-checklist |date=25 April 2012 }}
• [http://www.mysorenature.org/karanji/butterfly-checklist Mysore Nature| Karanji Lake | Butterfly Checklist] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181112004647/http://www.mysorenature.org/karanji/butterfly-checklist |date=12 November 2018 }}
• [http://www.inmysore.com/karanji-lake Karanji Lake]

{{Hydrology of Karnataka|state=expanded}}

{{Mysore topics}}

Category:Lakes of Mysore

Category:Aviaries