Kerala - Kollam   

Final report on Ashtamudi Lake survey to be ready in two weeks

Ignatius Pereira

Last phase of revenue survey on encroachments to begin on Friday

AT THE RECEIVING END: The Ashtamudi Lake.

KOLLAM: The revenue survey of the Ashtamudi Lake, being conducted as part of the district administration's efforts to save and conserve the water body, would be completed on September 10.

The final phase of the survey would be carried out from September 8. While the interim report of the survey was submitted to District Collector B. Srinivas, the final report would be submitted within two weeks after the completion of the survey.

During a recent monitoring exercise by a team led by Mr. Srinivas, massive encroachments on the lake were detected. The interim report confirmed the encroachments and a survey was ordered.

According to the figure provided by the Centre for Water Resource Development and Management to the Ramser Site, the area of the lake was 61.7 sq.km. The 1982 Revenue records put the area as 53.4 sq.km. and a latest record based on satellite imagery showed the area as 34 sq.km.

These records pointed to the fact that the lake was shrinking alarmingly. A 16-member team from the Revenue Department was entrusted with the task of survey. However, other compulsions of the department, especially those related to urgent land acquisition work, put the survey on hold. Now with those work complete, the personnel could now carry on with the survey.

Apart from encroachments, the team would also identify the destructive methods of fishing on the lake.

The "Thoopum padalam," a highly destructive method of fishing, was rampantly used on the lake. After a period of time, this method of fishing also facilitated easy encroachment. Another method of fishing was using stake nets. During the monitoring exercise, these were cleared from several points on the lake.

A recent study conducted by the Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad (KSSP) showed that these destructive methods had driven several edible fish species in the lake to the point of extinction. People living on the banks of the lake said that some of the species that used to be abundant some years ago were rarely seen today.

The Fisheries Department brought the matter to the notice of the Collector and the survey was ordered.

Meanwhile, K.K. Appukuttan, retired scientist and chairman of the KSSP's Ashtamudi Lake Conservation Committee, alleged that the encroachers were seeking political help for stalling any move against encroachment.

He said the encroachers had invested huge amounts and reclaiming the lake would be a Herculean task for the district administration.

Environmentalists and nature lovers were hopeful that the Government would take firm steps to save the lake.

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Final report on Ashtamudi Lake survey to be ready in two weeks

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