people living in catchment area of kolleru faced so many problems. why?
Answers
The catchment area of Kolleru is about 6,121sq km with a flow of 65,000 to 1.1 lakh cusecs of water into the lake. The lake drains out into the Bay of Bengal through the Upputeru drain, its only outlet.
Kolleru is one of the most important wetlands of India. The lake supports 200 species of birds, including the critically endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper, (Kolleru committee report 2010).
The lake serves as a foraging ground for resident as well as migratory birds. At present, 6,000 Spot-billed Pelicans, 5,000 Painted Storks and 5,000 Asian Openbills are estimated to be found in Kolleru. The lake also supports 63 species of fish.
The Kolleru Lake plays a vital role in absorbing carbon, which in turn, mitigates the effects of global warming. Currently, the emission of carbon into the atmosphere is a major global issue. This freshwater lake acts as a carbon sink similar to any other thick forest area. It also acts as a filter for pollutants released as a result of industrial activity.
Conservation status and duck rearing
Kolleru was accorded a sanctuary status under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. Currently, it covers an area of 308 sq km. It was designated a Ramsar site in 2002. It was also identified as an “Important Bird Area” of India by the Bombay Natural History Society.
People living in the vicinity of Kolleru lake mainly depend on fishery, agriculture and rearing ducks’ eggs for livelihood. Nearly 30 years ago, these activities entirely depended on traditional methods which did not disturb the lake’s biodiversity.
Previously there were a number of people who reared ducks, each of them having a flock size ranging from several hundreds to thousands.