Abstract

It is now well recognised that massive multipurpose river valley projects bring about drastic alterations of natural ecosystems. The most obvious changes include loss of forest cover, increased soil erosion, disturbance of wildlife, displacement of local populations and alterations of the native flora and fauna. The project area is located in the Idukki District. The following aspects were studied to generate baseline data. (1) Existing landuse pattern, (2) Existing vegetational status, (3) Soil conditions and properties, (4) Wildlife status and (5) Existing human settlements and human impact of the project. In the concluding section an attempt is made to synthesise the findings and resolve the conflicts in approaches among the investigators themselves