A Konkan secret, the sada needs more light Premium

Explore the unique biodiversity and cultural practices of the Konkan region's sada, a flat rocky plateau with rich ecosystem services.

The Konkan region located between the Arabian sea on one side and the Western Ghats on the other is most well-known for its beaches and temples.

As one travels across the Western Ghats towards Ratnagiri district, the landscape slowly transitions from mountain ranges standing a thousand metres tall, with steep slopes, to rolling hills with flat tops locally called sada, meaning a large flat area. They are the result of centuries of erosion.

The sada are barren most of the year but become transformed during the monsoons. They are similar to the plateaux, locally called pathar, in the Satara district of Maharashtra, of which the Kaas Plateau is a well-known example.

The sada, like the pathar, are rocky and harbour unique endemic flora that cover it in the monsoon season. A study undertaken in the southern part of Ratnagiri district between 2022 and 2024 explored the habitat and documented the biodiversity and the ecosystem services they provide. (The author was part of the study group.)

The biodiversity survey recorded 459 plant species, of which 105 are endemic to the Konkan region. The team recorded 31 species of reptiles, 13 species of amphibians, 169 species of birds, and 41 species of mammals in the region.

During the monsoons, the locals use small patches of sada to grow rice and millets (like nanchani, Eleusine coracana) with traditional practices that don’t require the use of pesticides and chemical fertilisers.

This said, the sada itself is far more interesting for its biodiversity and culture.