395
of wetlands (Chopra et al. 2001). Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government
of India, has identified 94 important wetlands in India, of which three are in Tamil
Nadu state viz., Point Calimere, Pallikaranai and Kaliveli (Kazhuveli) wetlands.
The Kaliveli watershed is the second major brackish water lake in South India it
is a semi-permanent, fresh to brackish wetland that drains 776 km
2
along the
Coromandel Coast. It is located 18 km towards the North of Pondicherry in the state
of Tamil Nadu (South India) with coordinates ranging between: 11°55′N, 79°35′E
and 12°10′N, 79°55′E (Fig. 12.1).
It is considered a wetland of international importance proposed by International
Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). Kaliveli
Backwaters is 12.5 km long and 370 m broad. The average depth is 1.75 m in the
high tide. At some place, it shows 3.5–4.0 m. deep. It covers an area of 3940 acres
with a gradient from freshwater to brackish water.
The Kaliveli wetland ecosystems have often been seen as unproductive and
stinking, and thus removed to make land areas for human settlements, infrastructure
development, aquaculture, agriculture saltpan and other industrial activities and
tourism development. Owing to their numerous uses, the people have oppressed the
mangrove forests indiscriminately and caused extensive damage to the mangrove
ecosystem, resulting in ecological decline in the Kaliveli wetland ecosystems.
Hence, this article highlights the threats, conservation and management statuses of
Kaliveli wetland ecosystems. Mis-management, changing socio-economic and policies have led to degradation of these rainwater-harvesting structures, thus altering
the properties of the wetland itself.
Fig. 12.1 Showing the Kalveli Lake, the Uppukali creek and the Yedayanthittu Estuary
12 Assessment of Anthropogenic Threats to the Biological Resources of Kaliveli…
of wetlands (Chopra et al. 2001). Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government
of India, has identified 94 important wetlands in India, of which three are in Tamil
Nadu state viz., Point Calimere, Pallikaranai and Kaliveli (Kazhuveli) wetlands.
The Kaliveli watershed is the second major brackish water lake in South India it
is a semi-permanent, fresh to brackish wetland that drains 776 km
2
along the
Coromandel Coast. It is located 18 km towards the North of Pondicherry in the state
of Tamil Nadu (South India) with coordinates ranging between: 11°55′N, 79°35′E
and 12°10′N, 79°55′E (Fig. 12.1).
It is considered a wetland of international importance proposed by International
Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). Kaliveli
Backwaters is 12.5 km long and 370 m broad. The average depth is 1.75 m in the
high tide. At some place, it shows 3.5–4.0 m. deep. It covers an area of 3940 acres
with a gradient from freshwater to brackish water.
The Kaliveli wetland ecosystems have often been seen as unproductive and
stinking, and thus removed to make land areas for human settlements, infrastructure
development, aquaculture, agriculture saltpan and other industrial activities and
tourism development. Owing to their numerous uses, the people have oppressed the
mangrove forests indiscriminately and caused extensive damage to the mangrove
ecosystem, resulting in ecological decline in the Kaliveli wetland ecosystems.
Hence, this article highlights the threats, conservation and management statuses of
Kaliveli wetland ecosystems. Mis-management, changing socio-economic and policies have led to degradation of these rainwater-harvesting structures, thus altering
the properties of the wetland itself.
Fig. 12.1 Showing the Kalveli Lake, the Uppukali creek and the Yedayanthittu Estuary
12 Assessment of Anthropogenic Threats to the Biological Resources of Kaliveli…