The Hindu Business Line : Action plan sought for Vembanad Lake

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Kochi Feb. 1 The World Wetland Day that is observed world over on February 2 is relevant to Kerala because of the existence of a vast wetland system in the State.

Having realised the necessity to conserve the Vembanad Wetland System in the State, it was included in the National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP) in Jun 2003. But, it 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 (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.

In fact, it is high time that the authorities evolved a sustainable action plan to conserve the Vembanad Wetland System, Mr N.K. Sukumaran Nair, General Secretary, Pampa Parirakshana Samithi, an NGO fighting for its conservation, told Business Line.

According to a study, the area of Vembanad lake which was 36,329 hectares in 1834 has shrunk to 12,504 ha in 1984. The draft has been reduced from 6.7 metres to 4.4 metres. The water holding capacity has declined from 2.449 cubic km to 0.559 cubic km. Thus, due to human intervention the area and draft of the lake have substantially reduced. 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 tonnes a year.

The current deteriorating situation in Kuttanad region is the net result of degradation and destruction of the environment right from the originating point of these four rivers to their confluence.

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 in to this wetland.

It is very important from the point of view of their flora and fauna as well as their water chemistry, Mr Nair, a former KSEB Engineer and 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 the 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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