Volume 2, Issue 3

Conservation of Lake Kolleru: Status Report

Author

N Sreenivas1 * and P Anil Kumar2

Abstract

Abstract:

Kolleru, the largest fresh water lake in India, falls in the West Godavari and Krishna districts of the state of Andhra Pradesh. The catchment of the lake extends up to 6121 km2 , of which 4763 km2 comprise of upland, and 1358 km2 deltaic. Considering that the lake functions as a flood moderating reservoir between the Krishna and Godavari deltas and that it supports several vulnerable species and a variety of resident and migratory birds, the Kolleru wetland was declared as a Wildlife Sanctuary, a RAMSAR site and also as an Important Bird Area (IBA). In 1999, 308 km2 of the Lake falling below +5 feet above MSL contour line was declared as Kolleru Wildlife Sanctuary (KWS). Even after the declaration, ecologically not-so-benign activities and encroachments continued unabated in the area. Kolleru lake system represents one of the largest and oldest natural wetland eco systems in the country. During the last couple of decades, the changing socioeconomic and political milieu of the state in general and the region in particular brought enormous alteration to the lake area and consequent strains on this wetland ecosystem. The lucrative business of aquaculture made far reaching consequence on the habitual land use in the Lake area

DOI

https://doi.org/10.62226/ijarst20130382

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