THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Vellayani Lake, the second largest freshwater lake in the state, failed to find a place in the list of wetlands submitted by the state government to the Centre for special conservation efforts.A high-level meeting of the State Wetland Authority Kerala (SWAK) chaired by the chief secretary on August 23 recommended to the Centre to provide assistance for the conservation of four lakes in the state. They are Ashtamudi Lake, Sasthamcotta Lake, Vembanad Lake and Kattampally river in Kannur.
Environmentalists associated with Vellayani Lake said its omission disappointed them.
“A biodiversity study had found that the Vellayani wetland was habitat to 133 species, including 23 rare migratory birds. The lake is under threat from encroachers. It has shrunk from 750 hectares to 420 hectares now,” says Sreeraj R, a local youth who was part of some modest conservation efforts conducted in the past.
According to Sreeraj, conservation of the lake is an immediate need of the city which faces acute water shortage during the summer. The lake at present caters to six drinking water projects, big and small.
“Depleting water level in city’s major water resources - Aruvikkara, Neyyar and Peppara dams - are a cause for concern. Vellayani has the potential to be developed as an alternate option,” he said.
According to State Department of Environment and Climate Change which oversees SWAK’s activities said Vellayani Lake will be recommended after preparing a detailed project report for its conservation.
“The recent meeting cleared the names of lakes for which DPR has already been prepared. DPRs for Ashtamudi, Sasthamcotta and Vembanad were prepared by Wetlands International South Asia,” DECC officials said.
“Centre for Water Resources Development and Management has been assigned with the preparation of DPR for eight lakes, including Vellayani. Since they first finished the one on Kattampally, it was included in the present list. Efforts are being taken to prepare DPR and recommend Vellayani Lake in this fiscal itself,” they said.
‘District panchayat to pass resolution’
District panchayat will ask the state government to acquire the Vellayani Lake and launch special conservation efforts. District panchayat president V K Madhu told ‘Thiruvananthapuram Express’ the panchayat will pass a resolution in this regard. “The panchayat is conducting smallscale conservation efforts, including the removal of weeds in feeder canals. But a comprehensive project is needed to protect the water body,” he said.
According to Madhu, the government should take a favourable stand to compensate 400 farmers whose farmlands are submerged in the lake. Immediate steps should also be taken to prevent encroachments. “There are about 89 reported cases of illegal encroachments. All of them should be evicted and efforts have to be made to prevent encroachments in future,” he said. The CPM district committee has also urged the government to take over the Vellayani Lake and conserve it.
A biodiversity study has found the Vellayani wetland was home to 133 species, including 23 rare migratory birds. The lake is under threat from encroachers. It has shrunk from 750 hectares to 420 hectares now — Sreeraj R, a local resident
The recent meeting cleared the names of lakes for which DPR has already been prepared. DPRs for Ashtamudi, Sasthamcotta and Vembanad were prepared by Wetlands International South Asia. — DECC officials