408
and (h) rapid expansion of commercial aquaculture
of prawn impacting the fi sheries and birds of
the lake.
In view of the degradation, corrective measures were initiated by the Government of Odisha
with support from the Government of India.
Meanwhile, by 1993, Chilika was put under ‘the
Montreux Record’ as the lake was considered to
have ‘undergone, to be undergoing or to be likely
to undergo change(s) in its ecological character(s)
brought about by human action’. The purpose
was to stimulate remedial measures for the lake’s
conservation.
Chilika Development Authority (CDA)
Under the above circumstances, mainly because
of its importance towards livelihood of people,
the Government of Odisha had set up the CDA in
1992, under the Indian Societies Registration Act
as a parastatal body under the administrative
jurisdiction of the Forest and Environment
Department. The CDA was set up for restoration
and overall development of the lake with the following charter:
(a) to protect the lake ecosystem with all its
genetic diversity, (b) to formulate management
action plan (MAP) for Integrated Resource
Management, (c) to implement multidimensional
and multidisciplinary developmental activities
and (d) to collaborate with various national and
international institutions for the development of
the lake.
MAP
(a) An integrated MAP was implemented with
fi nancial support of Rs. 570 million (US$12.7
million) out of ‘special problem grants’ recommended by the Finance Commissions.
Hydrobiological monitoring was supported
under the Odisha Water Resources
Consolidation Project of the World Bank. A
strong support network was set up with 7 State
government organisations, 33 NGOs, 3
national government ministries, 6 other organisations, 11 international organisations, 13
research institutions and 55 different categories of community groups.
(b) In 2003, collaboration of Indian and Japanese
experts led to a friendly relationship between
Chilika Lake and Saroma Lake in Japan
called Sister Wetlands .
Ameliorative Actions
Considering the threats faced by the Chilika
Lake, the National Wetlands, Mangroves and
Coral Reefs Committee of the Ministry of
Environment and Forests, Government of India,
also identifi ed the lake as a priority site for conservation and management. The ameliorative
actions taken by the CDA to restore the ecosystem and to improve the socio-economic conditions of the communities living around the lake
and on its islands involved the following
measures:
(a) Hydrological intervention (threedimensional mathematical modeling and hydraulics studies on a model prototype) of opening the
new lake mouth and channel to the sea through
the barrier beach at Satapura. This, possibly, had
improved the spatial and temporal salinity gradients of the lake to maintain the unique characteristics of an estuarine ecosystem. Concomitantly,
the desiltation of the channel connecting the lake
to the sea and opening of a new mouth to restore
the natural fl ows of water and salinity levels was
carried out in September 2000. These actions,
probably, resulted in a notable increase in the
lake’s fi sh yield and a reduction of freshwater
weeds.
Other measures included (a) catchment’s
management in a ‘participatory micro-watershed
management within a whole ecosystem
approach’; (b) protection of bird species and bird
habitat; (c) economic incentives to the local population to stop poaching of birds; (d) vocational
trainings, education, infrastructural development,
ecotourism, etc., to improve the socio-economic
conditions; and (e) provision of facilities for fi sh
landing, refrigeration, transport and marketing.
Accordingly, two workshops, sponsored by the
Canadian International Development Agency
(CIDA), were held in February 1992, at Bhubaneswar to explore ways and means to involve local
people for the development of Chilika Lake.
20 Wetlands of India
and (h) rapid expansion of commercial aquaculture
of prawn impacting the fi sheries and birds of
the lake.
In view of the degradation, corrective measures were initiated by the Government of Odisha
with support from the Government of India.
Meanwhile, by 1993, Chilika was put under ‘the
Montreux Record’ as the lake was considered to
have ‘undergone, to be undergoing or to be likely
to undergo change(s) in its ecological character(s)
brought about by human action’. The purpose
was to stimulate remedial measures for the lake’s
conservation.
Chilika Development Authority (CDA)
Under the above circumstances, mainly because
of its importance towards livelihood of people,
the Government of Odisha had set up the CDA in
1992, under the Indian Societies Registration Act
as a parastatal body under the administrative
jurisdiction of the Forest and Environment
Department. The CDA was set up for restoration
and overall development of the lake with the following charter:
(a) to protect the lake ecosystem with all its
genetic diversity, (b) to formulate management
action plan (MAP) for Integrated Resource
Management, (c) to implement multidimensional
and multidisciplinary developmental activities
and (d) to collaborate with various national and
international institutions for the development of
the lake.
MAP
(a) An integrated MAP was implemented with
fi nancial support of Rs. 570 million (US$12.7
million) out of ‘special problem grants’ recommended by the Finance Commissions.
Hydrobiological monitoring was supported
under the Odisha Water Resources
Consolidation Project of the World Bank. A
strong support network was set up with 7 State
government organisations, 33 NGOs, 3
national government ministries, 6 other organisations, 11 international organisations, 13
research institutions and 55 different categories of community groups.
(b) In 2003, collaboration of Indian and Japanese
experts led to a friendly relationship between
Chilika Lake and Saroma Lake in Japan
called Sister Wetlands .
Ameliorative Actions
Considering the threats faced by the Chilika
Lake, the National Wetlands, Mangroves and
Coral Reefs Committee of the Ministry of
Environment and Forests, Government of India,
also identifi ed the lake as a priority site for conservation and management. The ameliorative
actions taken by the CDA to restore the ecosystem and to improve the socio-economic conditions of the communities living around the lake
and on its islands involved the following
measures:
(a) Hydrological intervention (threedimensional mathematical modeling and hydraulics studies on a model prototype) of opening the
new lake mouth and channel to the sea through
the barrier beach at Satapura. This, possibly, had
improved the spatial and temporal salinity gradients of the lake to maintain the unique characteristics of an estuarine ecosystem. Concomitantly,
the desiltation of the channel connecting the lake
to the sea and opening of a new mouth to restore
the natural fl ows of water and salinity levels was
carried out in September 2000. These actions,
probably, resulted in a notable increase in the
lake’s fi sh yield and a reduction of freshwater
weeds.
Other measures included (a) catchment’s
management in a ‘participatory micro-watershed
management within a whole ecosystem
approach’; (b) protection of bird species and bird
habitat; (c) economic incentives to the local population to stop poaching of birds; (d) vocational
trainings, education, infrastructural development,
ecotourism, etc., to improve the socio-economic
conditions; and (e) provision of facilities for fi sh
landing, refrigeration, transport and marketing.
Accordingly, two workshops, sponsored by the
Canadian International Development Agency
(CIDA), were held in February 1992, at Bhubaneswar to explore ways and means to involve local
people for the development of Chilika Lake.
20 Wetlands of India