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Thrissur Kole Wetlands (Malayalam: തൃശൂർ കോൾ പാടങ്ങൾ) is a wetland lying in Thrissur District in Kerala, India. It gives 40 per cent of the Kerala’s rice requirement and acts as a natural drainage system for Thrissurcity and Thrissur District. The Kole Wetlands is one of largest, highly productive and threatened wetlands in Kerala and it comes in Central Asian Flyway of migratory birds. [[File:Journey of bhagavathi.jpg|thumb|right|Kole Wetlands in [[Puzhakkal,Enamavu], Thrissur Thrissur Kole Wetlands
A view of Kole Wetlands with birds. A scene from Thomana in Thrissur Metropolitan Area

LocationThrissur District and Malappuram District, KeralaTypeFreshwaterPrimary inflowsChalakudy River, Bharathappuzha RiverPrimary outflowsnoneBasin countriesIndiaSurface area13,640 ha (33,700 acres)SettlementsThrissur

HistoryEdit

From 18th century onwards, rice cultivation in Kole lands is said to have been started. But the Thrissur Kole lands recorded rice cultivation dates back to 1916 only.

GeographyEdit

The word Kole is a Malayalam word, and means that a bumper yield. It is a particular cultivation method adopted in wastelands in Thrissur District from December to May which otherwise is submerged from June to November, half of the year. The Kole wetlands lies between 10° 20' and 10° 40' N latitudes and 75° 58' and between 76° 11' E longitudes. The Kole wetlands are low lying tracts located 0.5 to 1m below Mean Sea Level (MSL) and remain submerges for about six months in a year. Kole lands in Thrissur are spread over eight blocks. The average annual rainfall is 3,200 mm and temperature varied from 28°C to 31°5°C.

The Kole Wetlands cover an area of about 13,632 hectares spread over Thrissur districtand Malappuram district. The area extends from Chalakudy River in South to Bharathappuzha River in the North, and to Ponnani Taluk. The Kole Wetlands acts as natural drainage system for Thrissur city and Thrissur district through a network of canals and ponds which connects different parts of Kole Wastelands to Enamavu river{one of the smallest River in Kerala,Canoli Canal,Chettuva River and then to the Arabian sea. It is fertile with Alluvium soil which is deposited Kecheryand Karuvannoor river in the monsoon.[1][2][3][4]

FaunaEdit

[[File:Puzhakkal river tourism 4.jpg|thumb|left| Puzhakkal River, one of the rivers which go through the Kole Wetlands and provide water for rice cultivation]] In terms of the number of birds, the Thrissur Kole Wetlands is the third largest in India after Chilika Lake in Orissa and Amipur Tank in Gujarat. It has been recognised as one of India's Important Bird Areas by BirdLife International. According to studies, there are 241 species of birds like spot-billed pelican, darter, Oriental darter, black-headed ibis, painted stork, black-bellied tern, cinereous vulture and greater spotted eagle.[5][6] Fishes like Caranx, Cyprinidae, mangrove red snapper, Megalops cyprinoidesand barramundi are also found in Kole Wetland.[7][8][9]

 

Sunrise over the Pullu Padam with a Morning drizzle

 

Bird's Nest Thrissur Kole Wetlands

ThreatEdit

The main threat to Kole Wetlands is expansion of cities and towns like city of Thrissur. The boom in construction industry, especially the real estate business in Central Kerala, has rung the alarm bell for the Kole wetlands.[10] Coconut cultivation, construction of buildings and houses, conversion of fields for sand and clay mining and brick kilns, hunting of wetland birds are the main threats for the Kole wetlands. Fresh water shortage and quality of water due to water intrusion from the Canoly Canal has been reported from various parts of Kole wetlands in Thrissur district.[11][12]