The Hindu Business Line : Vembanad upkeep plan in limbo

The deteriorating situation in Kuttanadu region, where the vast expanse of the lake is located, is the net result of the degradation and destruction of the environment.

Kochi , June 28

The conservation of the Vembanad Wetland System, which was included in the National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP) in June 2003, still remains a non-starter, as the government has yet to prepare an action plan for it.

Considering the fragile ecosystem of the wetland, deterioration of water quality and consequent damage to aquatic organisms and the shrinkage of Vembanad Lake, this wetland system was included in the National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP) by the National River Conservation Authority, chaired by the Prime Minister under the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) in June 2003. But, so far no action has emanated from the authorities, environmental activists alleged.

Under the NLCP, projects of conservation and management of polluted lakes are taken up on 70:30 cost-sharing between the central and state governments as in the case of river action plans. NLCP is a part of National River Conservation Plan under MoEF.

In the 2006-07 Union Budget, Rs 363 crore has been provided for the River Action Plan and Rs 286 crore for the NLCP.

It is high time that the authorities evolved a sustainable action plan to conserve the Vembanad Wet Land system, which was designated in November 2002 as Ramsar Site in India, Mr N.K. Sukumaran Nair, General Secretary, Pampa Parirakshana Samithi, an NGO fighting for its conservation, told Business Line.

According to a study by the SWRDM the area of Vembanad lake, which was 36,329 hectare in 1834 has shrunk to 12,504 ha in 1984. The draft of the lake that was 6.7 metre reduced to 4.4 metre. The water holding capacity of the lake declined from 2.449 cubic km to 0.559 cubic km.

Boat transport in several parts of the lake has become difficult following accumulation of silt in most of the canals. The silt flow through the rivers, Meenachel, Manimala, Pampa and Achankoil, into the lake is estimated at 96,000 tonne a year.

The deteriorating situation in Kuttanadu region, where the vast expanse of the lake is located, is the net result of the degradation and destruction of the environment.

He said that the shrinkage of Vembanad Lake as a result of land reclamation had been the most important environmental consequence of various human interventions. The water carrying capacity of the system has been reduced to an abysmal 0.6 km3 from 2.4 km3 (Km3 = cubic kilometre).

The Vembanad Lake along with the adjacent wetland over the eastern and southern sides forms Kuttanadu, the rice bowl of Kerala and the largest wetland system in the Western coast of the country. A good portion of this wetland has been converted into paddy fields, which remain water logged for six months a year. Some areas are left fallow throughout the year. Every year, tonnes of insecticides, weedicides, fungicides and chemical fertilisers reach into this wetland.

The fragile ecosystem of the wetland, he said, influences the life and health of people living in and around the region and is important for conservation of global biological diversity and for sustaining human life through the ecological and hydrological functions they perform. Being at the confluence of the rivers and the sea, and blessed by the fertile flows both the sea and river, these fascinating biotopes locally referred to as "Vembanad Kayal," are the most productive ecosystems in the country, abode of unique species of plants and animals, he said. "It is also the cradle of several endemic and rare species of fishes, the nursery of commercially important shrimps, prawns and crabs and the natural habitat of mussels, oysters and clams". It is very important from the point of view of their flora and fauna as well as their water chemistry, Mr Nair, also vice-president of Kerala River Conservation Council, pointed out.

The deterioration of water quality and the consequent damage to aquatic organisms are found to be very serious as per the studies conducted by various scientific institutions and the pollution level is found alarmingly high, he said.

The NGO has urged the State Government to request the MoEF and Ministry of Water Resources to formulate an Action Plan for a holistic approach for conservation of Vembanad Lake and Kuttanad with focus on abatement of pollution, check on soil erosion, regeneration and development of catchment areas and the front line developments, he added.

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