KAZHUVELI LAKE - ENVIRONMENT

KAZHUVELI LAKE - ENVIRONMENT

News: Between a dam and a wetland

What's in the news?

●       Kazhuveli lake, the second largest brackish water wetland in Tamil Nadu, is under threat.

Key takeaways:

●       Apart from the mushrooming illegal shrimp farming industry around it, the bird sanctuary’s main threat comes from within as the plan is to convert it into a freshwater lake.

●       While conservationists call it a disaster, water managers say it will be a blessing for the people.

Kazhuveli Lake:

●       Kazhuveli, or Kaliveli, meaning ‘Passage to Backwaters’, is a brackish water wetland, which feeds into the Bay of Bengal through the narrow 8-km-long Uppukalli creek and the Yedayanthittu estuary.

Location - Tamil Nadu

Uniqueness:

●       It is the second largest brackish water wetland after Pulicat lake in Tamil Nadu.

●       It is a Ramsar Site, a wetland of international importance.

●       It is also announced as a bird sanctuary for its accommodation of migratory birds.

Migratory Paradise:

●       The place is home to diverse species of flora and fauna and is a feeding ground for long-distance migrants from the cold subarctic regions of Central Asia and Siberia including Black-tailed Godwits, Eurasian Curlew, White Stork and Ruff.