406
shrinks to 906–740 km
2 (89,100 ha according to
WWF) at DSL. The loss of water spread area is
about 140 ha per year. Chilika Lake has a maximum length, breadth and depth of 64.3 km,
20.1 km and 4.2 m, respectively, while its mean
breadth is 18.5 km. In general, water depth of the
lake varies from 0.3 m to 0.8 m at DSL and from
1.8 m to 4.2 m at FSL. The water volume of the
lagoon is 4 km
3
. Bathymetric survey indicated
shallow northern sector, with <1.5 m depth in a
large area. The southern sector of the lake had
recorded the maximum depth of 4.2 m.
The catchment of the lagoon measures
3,560 km
2 in area. The catchment area of Chilika
Lake has rock, gravels, sand and mud as substratum, but the major part of the catchment area is
silt. Chilika Lake is a shallow bar-built estuary
with large areas of mudfl ats. The western and
southern margins of the lake are fringed by the
Eastern Ghats hill range. The mouth to the sea
generally and periodically closes due to siltation.
The location of the mouth also shifts frequently,
generally towards the northeast. The mouth,
which was 1.5 km wide in 1780, was only
0.75 km in width 40 years later. The local fi sherfolk generally cut open the mouth in order to gain
access to the sea for fi shing.
The lagoon has 35 infl ows which include
Bhargavi, Daya, Makra, Malaguni and Nuna
rivers. The primary outfl ows are the old mouth at
Arakhakuda and the new mouth at Satapada to Bay
of Bengal. There are many islands in Chilika, e.g.
Parikud, Phulbari, Berahpura, Nuapada, Nalbana,
Tampara, Badakuda, Honeymoon, Kalijai Hill,
Kanthapantha, Krushnaprasadrah (Old Parikuda)
and Sanakuda. The principal settlements are at Puri
and Satpara. About 10 rivers discharge c 13 million
metric tonnes (mt) of silt every year in the wetland.
It is the largest wintering ground for migratory
birds in the Indian subcontinent. The lake is home
to a number of threatened species of plants and
animals. Moreover, Chilika Lake has rich fi sh
resource. It sustains >150,000 fi sherfolk living in
132 villages on the shore and islands.
History
Possibly, Chilka Lake facilitated maritime trade
during the past. The Greek geographer, Ptolemy
(150 CE), referred to Palur as the port Paloura ,
located close to the southern tip of the Chilika
Lake, from where ships bound for different parts
of Southeast Asia had sailed. After 639 AD, the
Chinese Pilgrims, Fa-Hien and Hiuen-Tsang, had
mentioned a famous port Che-li-ta-loChing near
the shore of the ocean which was a thoroughfare
and resting place for seagoing traders. This port
was located at ‘Chhatragarh’ on the shore of the
Chilika Lake. In 1803, the British entered the
shores of the lake, reached Puri and occupied
Odisha with the help of Fateh Muhammed.
During the British rule, in 1897–1898, fi shermen community enjoyed exclusive fi shing rights
in the lake. The fi sheries of Chilika were part of
the Zamindari estates of Khallikote, Parikud,
Suna Bibi and Mirza Taher Baig and the
Chaudhary families of Bhungarpur and the Khas
mahal areas of Khurda, lying within the kingdoms of the Rajas of Parikud and Khallikote. The
zamindars (landlords) used to lease out the fi sheries exclusively to the local fi sherfolk.
With the abolition of zamindari system in
1953, traditional fi shing areas continued to be
leased out to cooperatives of local fi shermen.
Fishing, particularly prawn fi shing, became
increasingly remunerative with outside interest
playing an important role. But, in 1991,
Government of Odisha had to withdraw the policy of giving lease of the Chilika to the highest
bidder when the fi shermen’s cooperatives challenged the order in court. The Hon’ble High
Court of Odisha ordered the government to enact
changes that would protect the interests of traditional fi shermen, and since then no new leases
have been reported.
Geology
Geological evidence indicates that Chilika Lake
was part of the Bay of Bengal during the later
stages of the Pleistocene period (1.8 million years
BP). The lake is of estuarine character in an
ephemeral environment. The coastline had
extended along the western shores of the lake in
the Pleistocene era with its northeastern region
lying under the sea. The coastline has moved
eastwards over the ages. It is supported by the
fact that the nearby Konarak Sun Temple, which
was built originally on the seashore a few hundred
years ago, is now about 3 km away from the
20 Wetlands of India
shrinks to 906–740 km
2 (89,100 ha according to
WWF) at DSL. The loss of water spread area is
about 140 ha per year. Chilika Lake has a maximum length, breadth and depth of 64.3 km,
20.1 km and 4.2 m, respectively, while its mean
breadth is 18.5 km. In general, water depth of the
lake varies from 0.3 m to 0.8 m at DSL and from
1.8 m to 4.2 m at FSL. The water volume of the
lagoon is 4 km
3
. Bathymetric survey indicated
shallow northern sector, with <1.5 m depth in a
large area. The southern sector of the lake had
recorded the maximum depth of 4.2 m.
The catchment of the lagoon measures
3,560 km
2 in area. The catchment area of Chilika
Lake has rock, gravels, sand and mud as substratum, but the major part of the catchment area is
silt. Chilika Lake is a shallow bar-built estuary
with large areas of mudfl ats. The western and
southern margins of the lake are fringed by the
Eastern Ghats hill range. The mouth to the sea
generally and periodically closes due to siltation.
The location of the mouth also shifts frequently,
generally towards the northeast. The mouth,
which was 1.5 km wide in 1780, was only
0.75 km in width 40 years later. The local fi sherfolk generally cut open the mouth in order to gain
access to the sea for fi shing.
The lagoon has 35 infl ows which include
Bhargavi, Daya, Makra, Malaguni and Nuna
rivers. The primary outfl ows are the old mouth at
Arakhakuda and the new mouth at Satapada to Bay
of Bengal. There are many islands in Chilika, e.g.
Parikud, Phulbari, Berahpura, Nuapada, Nalbana,
Tampara, Badakuda, Honeymoon, Kalijai Hill,
Kanthapantha, Krushnaprasadrah (Old Parikuda)
and Sanakuda. The principal settlements are at Puri
and Satpara. About 10 rivers discharge c 13 million
metric tonnes (mt) of silt every year in the wetland.
It is the largest wintering ground for migratory
birds in the Indian subcontinent. The lake is home
to a number of threatened species of plants and
animals. Moreover, Chilika Lake has rich fi sh
resource. It sustains >150,000 fi sherfolk living in
132 villages on the shore and islands.
History
Possibly, Chilka Lake facilitated maritime trade
during the past. The Greek geographer, Ptolemy
(150 CE), referred to Palur as the port Paloura ,
located close to the southern tip of the Chilika
Lake, from where ships bound for different parts
of Southeast Asia had sailed. After 639 AD, the
Chinese Pilgrims, Fa-Hien and Hiuen-Tsang, had
mentioned a famous port Che-li-ta-loChing near
the shore of the ocean which was a thoroughfare
and resting place for seagoing traders. This port
was located at ‘Chhatragarh’ on the shore of the
Chilika Lake. In 1803, the British entered the
shores of the lake, reached Puri and occupied
Odisha with the help of Fateh Muhammed.
During the British rule, in 1897–1898, fi shermen community enjoyed exclusive fi shing rights
in the lake. The fi sheries of Chilika were part of
the Zamindari estates of Khallikote, Parikud,
Suna Bibi and Mirza Taher Baig and the
Chaudhary families of Bhungarpur and the Khas
mahal areas of Khurda, lying within the kingdoms of the Rajas of Parikud and Khallikote. The
zamindars (landlords) used to lease out the fi sheries exclusively to the local fi sherfolk.
With the abolition of zamindari system in
1953, traditional fi shing areas continued to be
leased out to cooperatives of local fi shermen.
Fishing, particularly prawn fi shing, became
increasingly remunerative with outside interest
playing an important role. But, in 1991,
Government of Odisha had to withdraw the policy of giving lease of the Chilika to the highest
bidder when the fi shermen’s cooperatives challenged the order in court. The Hon’ble High
Court of Odisha ordered the government to enact
changes that would protect the interests of traditional fi shermen, and since then no new leases
have been reported.
Geology
Geological evidence indicates that Chilika Lake
was part of the Bay of Bengal during the later
stages of the Pleistocene period (1.8 million years
BP). The lake is of estuarine character in an
ephemeral environment. The coastline had
extended along the western shores of the lake in
the Pleistocene era with its northeastern region
lying under the sea. The coastline has moved
eastwards over the ages. It is supported by the
fact that the nearby Konarak Sun Temple, which
was built originally on the seashore a few hundred
years ago, is now about 3 km away from the
20 Wetlands of India