Ramsar status cant help Ashtamudi

The main purpose of declaring an important wetland as Ramsar site is to enable its conservation through local and national-level action with international cooperation for achieving sustainable development. But sadly, in spite of the international status, there has been no serious attempt to gain national or international cooperation to protect these lake.

When Ramsar convention approved Ashtamudi estuary as a Ramsar site it had 61.4 sq. km area, after ten years it reduces to 34 sq.km. Reclamation, pollution, and sand-mining have destroyed Ashtamudi Lake. The pollution factor includes hydro-carbon discharge from over 1,000 mechanised fishing boats that operate through vast portions of the lake. The lake has also become a solid waste dumping ground of Kollam city.

Wetland map of Ashtamudi Estuary, 2010.

Mangroves of Ashtamudi estuary

Ashtamudi Estuary (Ramsar site No 1204) on the South-west coast of India is the second largest Estuary of Kerala. This Palm shaped waterbody has eight prominent arms and they confluence with Sakthikulangara to the Arabian Sea through a permanent opening at Neendakara, which is one of the most important fishing harbours of India. The major waterbody flowing into the Estuary is the Kallada River. The surrounding areas of this Estuary are thickly populated and highly urbanized which leads to excessive human interference and environmental degradation subsequently.

Eight arms of Ashtamudi estuary.

1.    Ashtamudi  Kayal

2.    Kadapuzha Kayal

3.    Kandachira Kayal

4.    Kanjirottu Kayal

5.    Kumbalathu  Kayal

6.    Kuripuzha Kayal

7.    Munrothuruttu Kayal

8.    Thekkumbhagum Kayal

Kallda River

The Kallada River originating from the Western Ghats at an elevation of 1100 m above mean sea level enters into the Ashtamudi estuary from the north-east. The major tributaries of Kallada River are Kulathupuzha, Chendurni and Kalthuruthy. The average annual runoff from the river system into the estuary is reported to be 76 cubic kilometers of freshwater into the Ashtamudi. The Kallada River bifurcates into two arms at Muthiraparambu and one of its arms joins Ashtamudi at Arinalloor and the other at Munrothuruth/Manakkadavu region

 

The bridges of the Ashtamudi Lake

There are many islands on this lake inhabited by people. The bridges have played a great role in the social and educational progress of the people of the islands as with the people of an main land.There are several bridges across this lake connecting its banks and its lslands together and the banks to the islands. They are Neendakara Bridge, Dalavapuram bridge, Pavumpa bridge, Perumon bridge, Pezhumthuruth bridge, Thevally bridge etc.

The Islands of the Ashtamudi Lake

The islands of the Ashtamudi lake are among the major factors which contribute to the beauty of the lake. There are big as well as small islands which are inhabited and uninhabitated by human beings. The remarkable islands include Munrothuruth, Pezhumthuruth, Pattamthuruth, Neettum thuruth, Puthenthuruth, Poothuruth, Pannaykkathuruth, Veluthuruth, Neeleswaram thuruth, Palliyam thuruthu etc. 

ASHTAMUDI KAYAL: Ashtamudi kayal

ASHTAMUDI KAYAL: Ashtamudi kayal: Ashtamudi Estuary, (Ramsar site No. 1204) on the west coast of India, is the second largest estuary in Kerala. This palm shaped water body ...

Otters come back to home

  Lutra perspicillata (Smooth coated otter) returned to home

Otters are members of a large mammalian family ‘Mustelidae.’ They are the principal predators of the aquatic environments and suitable indicators of the health of a wetland ecosystem as they are sensitive to degradation along the food chain. Serving as effective symbol of environmental quality otters are endorsed as ‘Wetland Ambassadors.’ Three species of otters viz; Smooth coated otter (Lutra perspicillata), Eurasian otter (Luta lutra) and Oriental small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus) are found in India (Asghar Nawab and Parikshit Gautam 2008). The smooth-coated otter occurs along the large rivers and lakes, in mangrove forests along the coast and estuaries, and in Southeast Asia it even uses the rice fields for foraging

There is a nostalgic or even a rebellious streak in the return of the smooth-coated otters to their natural habitat in the mangrove zone of the Ashtamudi Lake. Three decades ago, it was here that the species, deemed most endangered by the IUCN, lived, bred, fished and died. That is, before they were forced to leave their home, after the mangroves were cleared to accommodate an adventure park project of the Tourism Department.Now the otters are back home to Asramam areas of Ashtamudi lake. They could be seen diving into the waters and surfacing soon with fish in their mouth to nibble into while floating on the water.

 After their displacement following the clearing of the mangroves, the otters just disappeared and it is not known where they went to or where they have now come from.

Ashtamudi kayal

Ashtamudi Estuary, (Ramsar site No. 1204) on the west coast of India, is the second largest estuary in Kerala. This palm shaped water body has eight prominent arms and they confluence at Sakthikulangara, Kollam district, and open into the Arabian Sea through a permanent opening at Neendakara/Sakthikulangara, which is one of the most important fishing harbours of India. The major fresh water body flowing into the estuary is the Kallada River.