The Udhagamandalam Municipal Market is an anachronism of British colonial architecture and design. Its 150-year-old buildings lack any of the regal flourishes of the Nilgiris’ colonial residences, its churches and government offices. However, the cramped, often crowded complex still serves as the commercial heartbeat of the town, and over the course of its history, has also unwittingly served to bolster the town’s population of the not-so-common house sparrow, which is under threat due to the municipality’s decision to tear down the buildings and replace them with modern shops.
While many parts of Tamil Nadu and indeed the country have witnessed a steady decline in the population of sparrows, Udhagamandalam continues to be home to a stable population of the birds even within the most congested and populated parts of the town.
Based on a recent survey conducted by the students of the department of wildlife biology at the Government Arts College in Udhagamandalam, the decision to “modernise” the market could affect the habitats of around 200-250 house sparrows that live in and around the market, said Mohammed Shahir, who is part of a team of students undertaking the survey on the population.
