SubscriberWrites: Pulicat lake needs Chilika-like intervention to save its biodiversity

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Along the Indian east coast, it is a hotspot of biodiversity, shelters, several endemic and
endangered species listed in the IUCN red list of threatened species and an avian paradise for several migratory birds. It is proposed to be a Ramsar site. In 2010, the Global Nature Fund declared Pulicat Lake as a ‘threatened lake’. However, lake Pulicat is not added to the List in the Montreux Record. Due to the ecological threats that Pulicat Lake is facing, the Lake must be included in the Montreux Record. Further, emerging issues such as global warming, climate change and their impacts on coastal zone ecosystems must be addressed.

A need to develop an organizational setup like the Pulicat Development Authority in similar lines to the Chilika Development Authority of Orissa should be mooted immediately, considering the issues mentioned above. The restoration measures in the Lake are based on the principles of wise use and ecosystem approach, with a significant emphasis on community participation with shared decision-making leading to capacity building. One of the effective interventions was the desiltation of the channel connecting the lagoon to the sea and the opening a new mouth to restore the natural flows of water and salinity levels after intensive scientific studies and consultations. The intervention should involve stakeholders and be endorsed by the local community, and been one of their long-standing demands for the past two decades. The intervention could improve the lake ecosystem with a phenomenal increase in the Pulicat lake fish yield and may reduce freshwater invasive species. Other measures include management of the catchment in a participatory manner as the management plan for restoration of the Lake must attempt based on the river basin approach, protection of bird habitat and bird species with the active involvement of the community; economic incentives to the local population to stop poaching of birds; measures to improve the socio-economic conditions, such as orientation training to facilitate community-based ecotourism, provision of solar streetlight systems to island villages, development of a ferry service for isolated island villages, development of landing facilities for fisher folk, networking of the non-governmental organizations and community-based organizations, as well as education and environmental awareness activities.

This could increase the productivity level in both the wetland as well as the watershed
due to the sound environmental practices that facilitated the poverty alleviation of the community leading to a self-initiated participatory process for conservation and sustainable wise-use of the resources of the Pulicat Lake through adaptation of good practices and local ownership by the community. Chilika lagoon is a striking example of how the restoration of the ecological characteristics of a site can result not only in the improvement of the lagoon ecosystem but also immensely benefit the community depending on the wetland, whose average annual income increased by more than Rs. 50,000 per annum (US$ 1040 approx.) per family. The restoration of the Chilika lagoon derives its uniqueness from the strong participation of local communities, linkage with various national and international institutions, and intensive monitoring and assessment systems. The case of the Chilika lagoon is a perfect example of how the listing of a site on the Montreux Record can be used to promote measures to correct change in a site’s ecological character and improve the socio-economic conditions of the population living in and around the area.

Therefore, if the measures taken for the restoration of the Lake may result in considerable improvement of its fishery resources and water quality and a positive impact on the
biodiversity of the Lake, this can significantly contribute towards the increase in the per capita income of the community who depend on the Lake for their livelihood. Community consultation, linkage with the various national and international institutions, and intensive monitoring and assessment system are some of the uniqueness of the management practices that Pulicat Development Authority should adopt to restore this wetland. At the same time, long-term management planning, monitoring of the Lake, capacity building both at community and management levels, development of a proper institutional framework, and adaptive management are some of the identified gaps which need to be accomplished to achieve the sustainability and equitability of restoration initiative with an ecosystem approach.

Problems in the Development Project

Lake Pulicat as a wetland had been acknowledged as useless and less critical to be protected. Therefore the respective governments must consider including it and watching it under Ramsar Convention. However, people still do not realize its preciousness. The vast area of Pulicat had been destroyed, and now the development plan is ongoing. The prefectural governments should stop the lime shell mining at Pulicat Lake. They should also devise a protective method, such as the designation of the tidal flats as necessary for birds and precede registering the application for designation in the Ramsar List. The public should commit with deep consciousness to protecting Pulicat Lake. In an overpopulated country like India with fewer job opportunities, people in power often might make development plans. Those plans are unknown to the public, with fewer discussion opportunities, and only preliminary environmental assessment is taken. Promoting the project will lead to the destruction of the precious wetland the Pulicat Lake. Besides the strategies for the biodiversity conservation of Pulicat Lake, ecotourism development, community participation, integrated watershed management, hydrological monitoring, and modelling activities must be undertaken in collaboration with various national and international institutions.

Future insight

Lakes and coastal wetlands play a vital role in global ecosystems. Their importance has been recognized in maintaining biodiversity, ecology, hydrology and recreation. They provide a habitat for a wide variety of flora and fauna and help support the life cycle of many species. Many of the world’s lakes and coastal wetlands have deteriorated due to exploitative use and improper management, causing irreparable damage to the existing ecosystems and the lives and cultures of people around them. Increased demands for drainage of wetlands have been accommodated by channelization, resulting in further loss of stream habitat. This has led to aquatic organisms becoming extinct or imperilled in increasing numbers and to the impairment of many beneficial uses of water, including drinking, swimming and fishing. Indeed, freshwater deterioration and scarcity have threatened many life forms and may have severe consequences for humans. Recognizing the ongoing and impending threats to the lakes and wetlands in the Asian region, region-wise initiatives such as Asian Wetland Inventory and Asia Pacific Migratory Waterbird Conservation Strategy 2001-2005 have already begun. However, it has been recognized that the human and financial resources currently allocated to the conservation and wise use of lakes and wetlands in the Asian region are not sufficient and need to be strengthened. Successful conservation of lakes and wetlands greatly depends on adequately managing their watersheds, but conflicting interests exist in using their resources. Therefore, involving all those concerned in the restoration, conservation and management of lakes and coastal wetlands is imperative. Thus, there is an imminent need to promote regional linkages, develop strategic partnerships and follow good practices in the conservation and management of lakes and coastal wetlands. It is also essential to establish new and strengthen ongoing regional and international cooperation, linkages and strategic partnership between governments, international agencies, universities, research institutions, non-governmental organizations, local communities, the private sector and individuals for all concerned to work together to restore wetland biodiversity and ecosystem functions, to conserve and wisely use this coastal wetland and Lake for the present and future benefit of humanity. Ramsar Convention is vital in widening and deepening the world’s consciousness of the importance of protecting wetlands. We can believe the government will take responsibility for safeguarding Pulicat Lake. Pulicat Lake is a significant subject to tell the future course of wetland protection and, if successful, can be an international model for development and conservation.

The historical backdrop of our knowledge of early wetlands comes from maps and documents that survived over time. For centuries, humankind has viewed wetlands as places to drain and convert to agricultural usage. Today wetlands are one of the most threatened habitats in the world. Several international and national organizations work towards conserving nature and natural resources. However, interest in preserving wetlands has increased as the value of wetlands to society has become more fully understood. From an ecological perspective, knowing how the loss of wetlands affects fish, wildlife, and the environment is vital. Later, in 1971, a significant convention on wetlands took place at Ramsar in Iran, now widely popular as Ramsar Convention. The Ramsar Convention is an international environmental treaty with the mission of conservation and wise use of wetlands through local, regional, and national action and international cooperation to achieve sustainable development worldwide. Having an approximate age of more than 600 years, the Lake has been strongly associated with the cultural heritage and socio-economic status of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Located on India’s east coast, the Lake is separated from the Bay of Bengal. The water spread area of the Lake is 720 km 2 during the monsoon. The Lake is about 60 km long, and its breadth varies from 0.2 to 17.5 km. The Buckingham canal traverses north to the south at the eastern edge of Pulicat Lake, along Sriharikota Island. The Buckingham Canal is a 419 km long navigation canal dug during the early 19th century by the British, extending from Pedda Ganjam in Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, southwards through Chennai and to Marakanam, Chengalpet
district, Tamil Nadu. The siltation problem and the advent of the railway along the coast gradually saw it in disuse after the canal was constructed. The rivers Swarnamukhi and Kalangi in the northern part and the Arani and Korttalaiyar in the southern part drain into the Lake during the monsoon. During the dry season, water is generally present only in the south of areas and near the two openings. The other regions receive inflows from the Bay of Bengal during spring tides and by strong winds. The Lake hosts around 250 species of birds during peak migratory season, of which 50 are intercontinental. The Lake receives fresh water through rivers and canals and marine water through an inlet mouth connected to the Bay of Bengal. The Lake has a spatial and temporal salinity gradient, which gives rise to many niches inhabited by a large diversity of plant and animal species. About a lakh people living in 200 villages around Pulicat Lake depend on fishery resources for their livelihood.

This large and fragile wetland ecosystem has hardly survived the pressure of human
activities. Among the most critical threats identified so far were the historical destruction (and fragmentation) of the mangroves ecosystem, commercial cultivation of shrimps and farming, over-exploitation of hydro-biological resources, inappropriate extraction activities (with impacts on accompanying fauna), deforestation and conversion of neighbouring forests, pollution by waste waters and pesticides from adjacent agricultural lands. To address this problem, which caused the accelerated destruction of this unique ecosystem, the Pulicat Development Authority must be established by the respective state governments. Suppose we started to develop an integrated management initiative in the lake ecosystem with the support of the Governments of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Critical aspects of the process included a central community-based planning and management scheme (e.g. active participation of stakeholders and resource users), an integrated approach (focused on the ecosystem and not only in the protected area), a zoning program for land-use planning, clearly defined conservation objectives, key impacts’ identification and mitigation, and finally, a solid technical base for the project’ implementation and monitoring.

A significant portion of the Lake is in Andhra Pradesh (84%) and the remaining (16%) in
Tamil Nadu; this may create a question of the cross-jurisdictional issue of PDA location if it
successfully takes place. Before this, the respective State Governments and their Forest
Departments should prepare a collaborative plan and effort to establish an authority along the similar lines Chilika Development Authority as the Pulicat Development Authority (PDA) with the following objectives of funding research, educational, and conservation projects, interpretation centre, fishery management (in consultation with CIBA and CMFRI), people’s participatory and other development programmes like hydrology, dredging interventions, water chemistry and quality monitoring, restoration, invasive species eradication, a GIS cell, ecotourism and a team of biologists for its functions which will enhance to prepare an adaptive ecological plan and regular monitoring of the fragile Pulicat Lake ecosystem conservation with a long-term vision. The ecosystem approach is a way that the process led to the organization and strengthening of both authorities and resource users and the consolidation of inter-institutional cooperation schemes for the sustainable management of resources. In addition, designing an integrated management area, including coastal-marine, forests and transitional lands, improved resource management and minimized impacts. Finally, if developed, ecotourism and craftsmanship initiatives can be complementary income sources, aid to reinforce this sustainable resource use scheme for conserving the Pulicat Lake ecosystem, contributing to more sustainable lifestyles.

These pieces are being published as they have been received – they have not been edited/fact-checked by ThePrint.

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