Arittapatti village notified as Tamil Nadu's first biodiversity heritage site

Tamil Nadu government has declared Arittapatti village in Madurai as the state's first biodiversity heritage site. The village is surrounded by a chain of seven barren granite hillocks that act as a watershed and support close to 72 lakes, 200 natural spring pools and three check dams. The village also hosts around 250 bird species, including three flagship raptor species.