BHUBANESWAR: As Odisha government plans a major ecological restoration of Chilika, India’s biggest brackish water lagoon and a Ramsar site, it has proposed a bathymetry survey and desiltation of channels to naturally flush out the silt during heavy rainfall and reduce mouth migration.
The Chilika mouth near Sipakuda was opened in 2000 and has already shifted north by about 8 km. The restoration plan has proposed numerical model study and satellite imagery analysis to identify suitable location for opening a new mouth and inclusion of the same in the detailed project report (DPR) to be prepared in near future.
The proposed bathymetry survey will determine the exact amount of desilting required. Periodical field studies will be carried out to estimate the siltation and erosion rate in desilted channels, carrying capacity studies will be instituted for community-based responsible tourism primarily for dolphin watching at Satapada and bird watching at Mangalajodi. The Chilika Development Authority (CDA) and IIT Madras will also develop the DPR for the desiltation and restoration work.
The study will determine the maximum number of visitors and boats that can be accommodated without adverse impacts on dolphins, migratory birds and wetland ecology. The government has stressed that the study is essential in view of the increasing visitor pressure and unregulated boat traffic that are disturbing sensitive species and degrading habitats of the lagoon.
A Rs 1,126 crore proposal, submitted recently to the Finance Ministry seeking central funding, outlines a comprehensive and scientifically guided restoration and infrastructure enhancement programme for Chilika, a critical biodiversity habitat and a key element of coastal resilience.
The lagoon, apart from being a paradise for over a million birds, supports more than 2 lakh fisherfolk at present and is central to the regional economy. However, its ecology is deteriorating due to morphological changes, siltation and other factors.
A comprehensive hydroecological assessment of finfish and shellfish diversity, species stock and habitat viability will be carried out to optimise fisheries management strategies for the lake. It will also include hydrodynamic modelling, climate impact simulations, quantifying salinity flux, seasonal water exchange, and anthropogenic pressures that influence the fish stock and habitat suitability.
Further, fishing jetties will be upgraded at four locations and 10 new fish landing centres including utility buildings developed.
The government has estimated Rs 1,126 crore for the entire restoration plan of which Rs 981 crore has been earmarked for desilitation, sea mouth opening, creek excavation, maintenance and construction of fish landing centres, while another Rs 144 crore has been proposed for different studies and development of tourism infrastructure.