KOLLAM: District Collector B. Sreenivas will take a ride on Ashtamudi Lake on Monday for an on-the-spot inspection and study of the environmental damages inflicted on the lake.

The collector will be accompanied by officials of the Fisheries department.

The move is part of the emergency measures being initiated by the district administration to save Ashtamudi lake.

Material gathered in the inspection will be used by the district administration to garner political support for a comprehensive scheme planned to be implemented for saving the lake. For the purpose, a meeting has been called on June 9. Presidents of all grama panchayats brimming the lake, district panchayat president K. Devaki, other representatives of the people, police and Revenue Department authorities will be attending the meeting. Initiation of measures to prevent the degradation of the lake is expected to be evolved in the meeting.

Illegal and destructive methods of fishing, encroachment and pollution have inflicted heavy damage on the lake.

The lake, which on record has an area of 37 square kilometres has already lost a couple of square kilometres on account of such activities. If urgent steps are not taken to save it, Ashtamudi Lake faces the threat of shrinking and losing its unique biodiversity, Mr. Sreenivasan told The Hindu .

The main thrust of the inspection cruise will be to have a first hand information of the destructive `thoopum padalam' mode of fishing which is spreading along the banks of the lake. This mode of fishing also enables those operating it to reclaim portions of the lake. Deputy Director of Fisheries Department G. Rajendran, said "thoopum padalam method of fishing is one that traps fish arriving in the lake from the sea to spawn.

Branches of trees are cut and dumped in the lake so as to create a mangrove forest like atmosphere. When fish arrive from the sea to spawn, they find this trap the right place. As they swim into it in shoals, the area is soon enclosed using fine nets. When this is repeated three or four times in the same area, the water becomes slushy and enables the operator to quickly engage in reclaiming that area." Mr. Rajendran said, "if the activity is not stopped, the Ashtamudi Lake will turn into a mass of land in the long run."

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