Ashtamudi Lake
Encyclopedia
Ashtamudi Lake in the Kollam District
of Kerala
, India
, is the second largest and deepest wetland ecosystem, a palm-shaped (also called octopus-shaped) large water body, next only to the Vembanad estuary ecosystem of the state. Ashtamudi means 'eight coned'(Ashta = 'eight'; mudi = 'coned') in the local language of Malayalam. This name is indicative of the lake's topography
: a lake with multiple branches. The lake is also called the gateway to the backwaters of Kerala.
Ashtamudi Wetland was included in the list of wetland
s of international importance, as defined by the Ramsar Convention
for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands.
Along both banks of the lake and its backwater canals, coconut groves and palm trees interspersed with towns and villages are seen. Quilon
is an important historic port city located on the right bank of the lake and boat cruises are operated by the Kollam Boat Club from Quilon to Alappuzha
providing transport access to many other towns and villages along this route, apart from the luxury “house boats” which also operate in the lake. The boat journey is an 8 hour trip, winds through lakes, canals and water bound villages, and gives a complete exposure to the beauty of the backwaters of Ashtamudi Lake. Chinese fishing nets, called cheena vala in the Malayalam language, are used by local fisherman and are a common sight along the waterway.
The lake and the city of Quilon on its banks and the Neendakara
port at the confluence offer the transport means for state’s trade and commerce in cashew
trading and processing industry and marine products industry.
The lake is the source of livelihood for the people living close to it in fishing, coconut husk retting for coir
production and inland navigation services.
The lake and the life on its shores have inspired many artists and writers.It has been the subject of many poems of renowned poet Thirunalloor Karunakaran
who was born and brought up on its banks.
BACKWATER TOURISM Tourism is one of the most attractive activity in Ashtamudi lake, Accommodation in Resorts and Houseboats are a memorable thing, visit - http://www.southernbackwaters.com for backwater tour options from kollam
as the entry city to the lake, access to the lake are to the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport
, 71 km (44 mi) away and by road to almost all important centres in Kerala and the rest of the country. National Highway 47 (NH 47) passes through the lake periphery not only from Quilon but also to other locations on its bank from Thiruvananthapuram
to the northern towns of Kerala
. Southern Railways
network of metre gauge
and broad gauge
lines connects with Quilon and to all important centres in the rest of the country. The metre gauge train journey from Quilon to Chennai via Madurai
is stated to offer a picturesque journey. Ferry services operate daily to Alleppey and boats operate to all villages located in the canals of the backwater system. The boat jetty is located at about 3 km (2 mi) away from the railway station.
is a major river discharging into the Ashtamudi Lake. The Kallada river, which originates near Ponmudi
from the Kulathupuzha
hills Western Ghats
in Thiruvananthapuram District
, is formed by the confluence of three rivers, viz., Kulathupuzha
, Chenthurnipuzha, and Kalthuruthipuzha, and after traversing a distance of about 121 km (75 mi) through virgin forests finally debouches into the Ashtamudi wetland
at Neendakara (a fishing harbour) near Kollam as it enters the Lakshadweep
Sea, part of the Arabian Sea
. With a maximum depth of 21 ft (6.4 m) at the confluence, it is Kerala’s deepest estuary.
and Tertiary
sediments and sedimentary rocks are the formations in the lake basin and environs. The Quaternary sediments are of marine
and fluvial
alluvium
of recent age. Tertiary sediments comprise laterite
, sandstone
s and clay
s of Warkalai formation.
is reported to be 76 cubic kilometers of freshwater. The basin drainage area is 1,700 km2 (660 mi2) and with an average annual rainfall of 2400 mm (94 in) it discharges 3.375 km3 (2,740,000 ac·ft) of flow annually. It acts as a flood storage lake thus protecting the thickly populated city of Quilon (Kollam) and the coastal land. The Kallada dam built across the Kallada river is 85.3 m high by 35 m long (280 ft by 115 ft) with a reservoir area of 23 km2 (8.9 mi2) with a storage volume of 0.505 km3 (409,000 ac·ft). Though it provides irrigation to 61630 ha for paddy
and upland crops, it has aggravated the salinity ingress into the wetland and the river due to reduced outflows during summer months.
Temperature
s recorded in the area are a maximum of 27.5 °C (81.5 °F) and a minimum of 25.5 °C (78 °F). The climate is hot and humid during April–May while cool during December–January.
officinalis, Brugiera gymnorrhiza and Sonneratia
caseolaris as also 43 species of marshy and mangrove associates including two endangered species Syzygium travancoricum
(endangered species according to the Red Data Book of Indian Plants) and Calamus rotang in the Terrestrial system. These species offer excellent scope for development of marine
bioreserve to promote eco-tourism in the estuarine of the lake. IUCN lists the two endangered species in IUCN 2008. The total number of Syzygium travancoricum is reported to be very small, not more than 200. The major threats to the endangered species are reportedly draining of the wet lands and conversion into paddy fields.
A study report has identified 45 insect species, including 26 species of butterfly, 5 odonates, 9 hymenopteras, and 2 orthopterans, 1 hemipteran and 2 coleopterans. About 29 zooplankton species have also been identified.
The water body is found to have 9 phytoplankton
s such as Amphora, Borosigma, Cyclotella, Cymbella, Gyrozigma, Meloziva, Navicula and Nitzschi.
(Munroethuruth) is a cluster of eight tiny islands in Ashtamudi Lake.
Chavara
South, a small village, an island within the Ashtamudi Lake, located 14 km (9 mi) away from Quilon on the National Highway NH 47, is reported to be mineral rich with number of factories for extraction and export of titanium
and other minerals. Effluent
from the factories is reported to be causing pollution of the lake waters.
Thekkumbhagom island, situtaed on the bank of the Ashtamudi Lake, provides an enchanting natural beauty and also feel of rustic life of a village. The significance of this village is due the fact that the first epic poetry in the Malayalam language, Ramachandravilasam, was composed by the poet Azhakath Padmanabha Kurup in this village. An ancient 1000 year old temple and a 200 year old church are located here.
, a state government-owned public sector unit. A university professor who has studied this aspect wonders
a) "Karimeen" (pearl spot) and "kanambu" (mullet
) fish varieties once the livelihood of fishermen have disappeared and resulting in the migration of the fishermen to Paravur
and Varkala
in the south and even Kannur
in the north.
b) People dependent on coir for a livelihood used the lake to soak husks but now the Kanjiracode coir industry is non-existent due to closure of the creek resulting in migration of coir workers to other places for a living.
Government has carried out a study with the objective of evolving a management plan for sustainable management of the estuary for ecosystem development. The shores of the lake are home to important species of rare birds and animals. Any decisions made concerning the Ashtamudi Estuary estuary's resources and its sustainable management significance is dictated by about a million people who live on its shores and the large species of rare birds and animals which provide the equally important biodiversity to the lake's environs. The Plan envisages:
The above activities have been suggested for implementation in the Vellimon Kayal, a relatively unspoiled part of the estuary.
With funds provided by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, revival of mangrove forests was done which is reported to be partially successful (out of 2,40,000 mangrove saplings planted over a period of two years 30,000 are reported to be surviving).
train suffered a major accident while crossing a bridge at Perumon on July 8, 1988. A large number of its coaches fell into the lake, and 106 people lost their lives. See: Peruman railway accident
.
Kollam district
-Climate:Kollam's temperature is almost steady throughout the year. The average temperature ranges from 25 to 32 degrees Celsius. Summer usually runs from March until May; the monsoon begins by June and ends by September. Kollam receives an annual average rainfall of around...
of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, is the second largest and deepest wetland ecosystem, a palm-shaped (also called octopus-shaped) large water body, next only to the Vembanad estuary ecosystem of the state. Ashtamudi means 'eight coned'(Ashta = 'eight'; mudi = 'coned') in the local language of Malayalam. This name is indicative of the lake's topography
Topography
Topography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
: a lake with multiple branches. The lake is also called the gateway to the backwaters of Kerala.
Ashtamudi Wetland was included in the list of wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s of international importance, as defined by the Ramsar Convention
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands.
Along both banks of the lake and its backwater canals, coconut groves and palm trees interspersed with towns and villages are seen. Quilon
Quilon
Quilon may refer to,* Venad, a former state on Malabar Coast, India* Kollam , Kerala state, India* Kollam district, Kerala state...
is an important historic port city located on the right bank of the lake and boat cruises are operated by the Kollam Boat Club from Quilon to Alappuzha
Alappuzha
Alappuzha , also known as Alleppey, is a town in Alappuzha District of Kerala state of southern India. As per 2001 census Alleppey is the sixth largest city in Kerala with an urban population of 177,029. Alleppey is situated to the south of Kochi and north of Trivandrum...
providing transport access to many other towns and villages along this route, apart from the luxury “house boats” which also operate in the lake. The boat journey is an 8 hour trip, winds through lakes, canals and water bound villages, and gives a complete exposure to the beauty of the backwaters of Ashtamudi Lake. Chinese fishing nets, called cheena vala in the Malayalam language, are used by local fisherman and are a common sight along the waterway.
The lake and the city of Quilon on its banks and the Neendakara
Neendakara
Neendakara is a village in Kollam district 9 km north of Kollam city in Kerala, India. It is Kollam district's intermediate fishing port....
port at the confluence offer the transport means for state’s trade and commerce in cashew
Cashew
The cashew is a tree in the family Anacardiaceae. Its English name derives from the Portuguese name for the fruit of the cashew tree, caju, which in turn derives from the indigenous Tupi name, acajú. It is now widely grown in tropical climates for its cashew nuts and cashew apples.-Etymology:The...
trading and processing industry and marine products industry.
The lake is the source of livelihood for the people living close to it in fishing, coconut husk retting for coir
Coir
Coir is a natural fibre extracted from the husk of coconut and used in products such as floor mats, doormats, brushes, mattresses etc. Technically coir is the fibrous material found between the hard, internal shell and the outer coat of a coconut. Other uses of brown coir are in upholstery...
production and inland navigation services.
The lake and the life on its shores have inspired many artists and writers.It has been the subject of many poems of renowned poet Thirunalloor Karunakaran
Thirunalloor Karunakaran
Thirunalloor Karunakaran was a renowned poet, scholar, teacher and leftist intellectual of Kerala, India.-Early life:...
who was born and brought up on its banks.
BACKWATER TOURISM Tourism is one of the most attractive activity in Ashtamudi lake, Accommodation in Resorts and Houseboats are a memorable thing, visit - http://www.southernbackwaters.com for backwater tour options from kollam
History
Quilon or Kollam and inevitably the Ashtamudi lake's importance is claimed to be dated to the days of the Phoenicians and the Romans. Ibn Batuta, during his 24-year sojourn in the 14th century, is reported to have mentioned about the Quilon port as one of the five ports for Chinese trade. Links with Persia (9th century), Chinese mandarin in 1275 AD, Portuguese in 1502 AD, and the Dutch followed British in 1795 AD are recorded history. Velu Thampi is credited with organizing the rebellion against the British from this place.Access
Considering KollamQuilon
Quilon may refer to,* Venad, a former state on Malabar Coast, India* Kollam , Kerala state, India* Kollam district, Kerala state...
as the entry city to the lake, access to the lake are to the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport
Thiruvananthapuram International Airport
-Cargo:-Facilities:The newly built Terminal 3 has three additional jetways and parking bays to accommodate 8 aircraft. The terminal is built opposite to the current terminal across the runway and is closer to the city side.The terminal, constructed by the AAI and designed by the UK firm,...
, 71 km (44 mi) away and by road to almost all important centres in Kerala and the rest of the country. National Highway 47 (NH 47) passes through the lake periphery not only from Quilon but also to other locations on its bank from Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
to the northern towns of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. Southern Railways
Southern Railway Zone (India)
The Southern Railway is the earliest of the 16 zones of the Indian Railways created in independent India. It was created on April 14, 1951 by merging three state railways namely Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway, the South Indian Railway, and the Mysore State Railway. The South Indian Railway...
network of metre gauge
Metre gauge
Metre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . In some African, American and Asian countries it is the main gauge. In Europe it has been used for local railways in France, Germany, and Belgium, most of which were closed down in mid 20th century. Only in Switzerland...
and broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
lines connects with Quilon and to all important centres in the rest of the country. The metre gauge train journey from Quilon to Chennai via Madurai
Madurai
Madurai is the third largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the capital city of the Pandyan Kingdom. It is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District and is famous for its temples built by Pandyan and...
is stated to offer a picturesque journey. Ferry services operate daily to Alleppey and boats operate to all villages located in the canals of the backwater system. The boat jetty is located at about 3 km (2 mi) away from the railway station.
Topography
Kallada RiverKallada River
The Kallada River is one of two major rivers that flow through the Kollam District of Kerala, India. It originates on the Kulathupuzha hills near Ponmudi and travels for 121 km, flowing through Punalur, Pathanapuram, Kunnathur, Kottarakkara and Kollam before ending at Ashtamudi Lake...
is a major river discharging into the Ashtamudi Lake. The Kallada river, which originates near Ponmudi
Ponmudi
Ponmudi is a hillstation in the Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala in South India. Its located 61 km north-east of Trivandrum city at an altitude of 1100 m. It is a part of the Western Ghats mountain range that runs parallel to the Arabian Sea.-Tourism:Ponmudi is connected to...
from the Kulathupuzha
Kulathupuzha
Kulathupuzha is a village in the Kollam district of Kerala state, India. This town is situated on the Thiruvananthapuram - Shenkottai road. Kulathupuzha is 62 km away from Thiruvananthapuram and 64 km away from Kollam....
hills Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
in Thiruvananthapuram District
Thiruvananthapuram district
Thiruvananthapuram District is the southernmost district of the Indian state of Kerala. It came into existence in the year 1957. The headquarters is the city of Thiruvananthapuram which is also the capital city of Kerala....
, is formed by the confluence of three rivers, viz., Kulathupuzha
Kulathupuzha
Kulathupuzha is a village in the Kollam district of Kerala state, India. This town is situated on the Thiruvananthapuram - Shenkottai road. Kulathupuzha is 62 km away from Thiruvananthapuram and 64 km away from Kollam....
, Chenthurnipuzha, and Kalthuruthipuzha, and after traversing a distance of about 121 km (75 mi) through virgin forests finally debouches into the Ashtamudi wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
at Neendakara (a fishing harbour) near Kollam as it enters the Lakshadweep
Lakshadweep
Lakshadweep , formerly known as the Laccadive, Minicoy, and Amindivi Islands, is a group of islands in the Laccadive Sea, 200 to 440 km off the coast of the South West Indian state of Kerala...
Sea, part of the Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
. With a maximum depth of 21 ft (6.4 m) at the confluence, it is Kerala’s deepest estuary.
Geology
QuaternaryQuaternary
The Quaternary Period is the most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the ICS. It follows the Neogene Period, spanning 2.588 ± 0.005 million years ago to the present...
and Tertiary
Tertiary
The Tertiary is a deprecated term for a geologic period 65 million to 2.6 million years ago. The Tertiary covered the time span between the superseded Secondary period and the Quaternary...
sediments and sedimentary rocks are the formations in the lake basin and environs. The Quaternary sediments are of marine
Marine (ocean)
Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...
and fluvial
Fluvial
Fluvial is used in geography and Earth science to refer to the processes associated with rivers and streams and the deposits and landforms created by them...
alluvium
Alluvium
Alluvium is loose, unconsolidated soil or sediments, eroded, deposited, and reshaped by water in some form in a non-marine setting. Alluvium is typically made up of a variety of materials, including fine particles of silt and clay and larger particles of sand and gravel...
of recent age. Tertiary sediments comprise laterite
Laterite
Laterites are soil types rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Nearly all laterites are rusty-red because of iron oxides. They develop by intensive and long-lasting weathering of the underlying parent rock...
, sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
s and clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
s of Warkalai formation.
Hydrology
The average annual runoff from the river system into the estuaryEstuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
is reported to be 76 cubic kilometers of freshwater. The basin drainage area is 1,700 km2 (660 mi2) and with an average annual rainfall of 2400 mm (94 in) it discharges 3.375 km3 (2,740,000 ac·ft) of flow annually. It acts as a flood storage lake thus protecting the thickly populated city of Quilon (Kollam) and the coastal land. The Kallada dam built across the Kallada river is 85.3 m high by 35 m long (280 ft by 115 ft) with a reservoir area of 23 km2 (8.9 mi2) with a storage volume of 0.505 km3 (409,000 ac·ft). Though it provides irrigation to 61630 ha for paddy
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
and upland crops, it has aggravated the salinity ingress into the wetland and the river due to reduced outflows during summer months.
Temperature
Temperature
Temperature is a physical property of matter that quantitatively expresses the common notions of hot and cold. Objects of low temperature are cold, while various degrees of higher temperatures are referred to as warm or hot...
s recorded in the area are a maximum of 27.5 °C (81.5 °F) and a minimum of 25.5 °C (78 °F). The climate is hot and humid during April–May while cool during December–January.
Flora
Ashtamudi Estuary has mangroves AvicenniaAvicennia
Avicennia is a genus of flowering plants currently placed in the bear's breeches family, Acanthaceae. It contains mangrove trees, which occur in the intertidal zones of estuarine areas and are characterized by aerial roots. Species of Avicennia occur worldwide south of the Tropic of Cancer.The...
officinalis, Brugiera gymnorrhiza and Sonneratia
Sonneratia
Sonneratia is a genus of plants in the family Lythraceae. Formerly the Sonneratia were placed in a family called Sonneratiaceae which included both the Sonneratia and the Duabanga, but these two are now placed in their own monotypic subfamilies of the family Lythraceae...
caseolaris as also 43 species of marshy and mangrove associates including two endangered species Syzygium travancoricum
Syzygium travancoricum
Syzygium travancoricum is a species of plant in the Myrtaceae family. It is known from a few locations in Kerala and is endemic to India. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
(endangered species according to the Red Data Book of Indian Plants) and Calamus rotang in the Terrestrial system. These species offer excellent scope for development of marine
Marine (ocean)
Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...
bioreserve to promote eco-tourism in the estuarine of the lake. IUCN lists the two endangered species in IUCN 2008. The total number of Syzygium travancoricum is reported to be very small, not more than 200. The major threats to the endangered species are reportedly draining of the wet lands and conversion into paddy fields.
Avifauna
The lake supports 57 species of avifauna, of which 6 are migratory and 51 resident species. It is also reported that about 40 species of wetland-dependent birds are recorded in the lake, out of which 45% are long-distance migrants. Terns, plovers, cormorants, and herons are most abundant birds in the lake.A study report has identified 45 insect species, including 26 species of butterfly, 5 odonates, 9 hymenopteras, and 2 orthopterans, 1 hemipteran and 2 coleopterans. About 29 zooplankton species have also been identified.
The water body is found to have 9 phytoplankton
Phytoplankton
Phytoplankton are the autotrophic component of the plankton community. The name comes from the Greek words φυτόν , meaning "plant", and πλαγκτός , meaning "wanderer" or "drifter". Most phytoplankton are too small to be individually seen with the unaided eye...
s such as Amphora, Borosigma, Cyclotella, Cymbella, Gyrozigma, Meloziva, Navicula and Nitzschi.
Aquafauna
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) reports97 species of fishes (42 are typically marine, 3 estuarine, 9 estuarine-riverine, 15 marine-estuarine) and unique copepodClams found in the estuary are exported. The estuary is the source of livelihood for thousands of fishermen and is stated to be the second biggest fish-landing centre after the Vembanad estuary.CopepodCopepods are a group of small crustaceans found in the sea and nearly every freshwater habitat. Some species are planktonic , some are benthic , and some continental species may live in limno-terrestrial habitats and other wet terrestrial places, such as swamps, under leaf fall in wet forests,...
species. It is also a congenial habitat for all species of penacid and palaemonid Prawns, edible crabs, black Clams and a variety of fish.
Islands in the lake
Munroe IslandMunroe Island
Munroe Island is located at the confluence of Ashtamudi Lake and the Kallada River, in Kollam district, Kerala, South India...
(Munroethuruth) is a cluster of eight tiny islands in Ashtamudi Lake.
Chavara
Chavara
Chavara is approximately 14 km north of Kollam City on the Kollam-Alappuzha highway in India. Tonnes of mineral sand, mainly titanium, are exported from Chavara to various countries. The Kovilthottam port is situated within the limits of Chavara Panchayat.Kovilthottam is a strip of land ...
South, a small village, an island within the Ashtamudi Lake, located 14 km (9 mi) away from Quilon on the National Highway NH 47, is reported to be mineral rich with number of factories for extraction and export of titanium
Titanium
Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant transition metal with a silver color....
and other minerals. Effluent
Effluent
Effluent is an outflowing of water or gas from a natural body of water, or from a human-made structure.Effluent is defined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as “wastewater - treated or untreated - that flows out of a treatment plant, sewer, or industrial outfall. Generally refers...
from the factories is reported to be causing pollution of the lake waters.
Thekkumbhagom island, situtaed on the bank of the Ashtamudi Lake, provides an enchanting natural beauty and also feel of rustic life of a village. The significance of this village is due the fact that the first epic poetry in the Malayalam language, Ramachandravilasam, was composed by the poet Azhakath Padmanabha Kurup in this village. An ancient 1000 year old temple and a 200 year old church are located here.
Economic evaluation of the lake's resources
An evaluation of the marketed use benefits of Ashtamudi estuary (valued using market valuation approach) has assessed the total direct use value at Rs.66.8 million per annum; coconut husk retting accounts for Rs.5.1 million, Inland navigation service accounts for Rs.3.7 million and the recreation benefit is assessed at Rs.1.5 million (using the standard travel cost method). But this is reported to be showing a downward trend, particularly in fish resources in the estuary. This evaluation provides an insight into the economic importance of conserving Ashtamudi estuary.Deterioration of the lake environment
The following are reported to be the reasons for deterioration of the lake environment:- Intense anthropogenic pressure.
- Oil spills from thousands of fishing boats and from industries in the surrounding area.
- Dwindling of the fragile lake zone due to conversion/destruction of natural habitats for development purposes (reported that the lake which had an area of 54 km2 [21 mi2] according to old survey reports has shrunk to 34 km2 [13 mi2] due to encroachments)
- Large quantities of untreated sewage, disposal of human excreta, and the pollution from paper mills, industries (aluminum, ceramics, seafood), as well as from coconutCoconutThe coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
husk retting. - Many fish species may have become extinct due to lack of spawning facilities on the banks of the lake due to canalization of the lake’s banks by walls built of laterite and granite stones (these walls reportedly cover 80 per cent of the lake's banks)
Extinction of Kanjiracode creek
Kanjiracode creek on the south-east end of the lake, one arm of the Ashtamudi, has suffered extinction due to the dumping of waste earth and clay into the lake by the Kerala Ceramics Limited (KCL) at KundaraKundara
Kundara a fast re-emerging industrial town is set to become a satellite town of Kollam city Kollam district of Kerala, India. A former industrial center of Kollam district it had major industries as - KEL, Kerala Ceramics, Aluminium Industries Ltd...
, a state government-owned public sector unit. A university professor who has studied this aspect wonders
The loss to people due to destruction of the creek is stated to be:
whether the lake would have to be soon rechristened "Sapthamudi" or the lake with seven locks of hair.
a) "Karimeen" (pearl spot) and "kanambu" (mullet
Mullet (fish)
The mullets or grey mullets are a family and order of ray-finned fish found worldwide in coastal temperate and tropical waters, and in some species in fresh water. Mullets have served as an important source of food in Mediterranean Europe since Roman times...
) fish varieties once the livelihood of fishermen have disappeared and resulting in the migration of the fishermen to Paravur
Paravur
Paravur may refer to:* North Paravur, a municipality and town in Ernakulam district* Paravur Taluk, in Ernakulam district* South Paravur, a village near to Udayamperoor in Kanayannur taluk of Ernakulam district...
and Varkala
Varkala
Varkala is a coastal town and municipality in Thiruvananthapuram district situated in the Indian state of Kerala. It is located 50 kilometres north-west of Thiruvananthapuram and 37 km south-west of Kollam city.Varkala is the only place in southern Kerala where cliffs are found adjacent to...
in the south and even Kannur
Kannur
Kannur , also known as Cannanore, is a city in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the District of Kannur and 518km north of state capital Trivandrum. During British rule in India, Kannur was known by its old name Cannanore, which is still in...
in the north.
b) People dependent on coir for a livelihood used the lake to soak husks but now the Kanjiracode coir industry is non-existent due to closure of the creek resulting in migration of coir workers to other places for a living.
Restoration plans
The Asia Development Assistance Facility of the New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
Government has carried out a study with the objective of evolving a management plan for sustainable management of the estuary for ecosystem development. The shores of the lake are home to important species of rare birds and animals. Any decisions made concerning the Ashtamudi Estuary estuary's resources and its sustainable management significance is dictated by about a million people who live on its shores and the large species of rare birds and animals which provide the equally important biodiversity to the lake's environs. The Plan envisages:
- Identify and phase out of the pollution sources
- Better sanitation, reduction of industrial growth and reduction of urban waste to ensure the maintainable water quality of the estuary.
- Address the declining fish stock production through concerted efforts to conserve the fish stock of the estuary in a sustainable manner and with community participation
- Product diversification of coir to ensure better economic returns to people with the coordination of self-help groups
- Improved shore protection through mangrove afforestation for ecosystem development on the banks of the estuary
- Mining to be allowed selectively at village level, away from the banks of the lake
- Discontinue estuary reclamation
- Set defined navigation routes undisturbed by fishing nets
- Neendakara port to be provided with improved sanitation facilities, enhanced boat-fuelling terminals and drainage terminals.
- Promote ecotourism with better facilities of inland navigationInland navigationInland navigation is transport with ships via inland water between inland ports or quays and wharfs.-See also:* Code Européen des Voies de la Navigation Intérieure -External links:...
and services in the form of:- developing of marineMarine (ocean)Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...
bio-reserve, nature island and mangrove conservation area - visits to temples nearby and other places of cultural and archeological importance
- visits to coir-producing villages, rubberRubberNatural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
-producing villages, riceRiceRice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
fields, fish hatcheries and other biodiversity hot spots
- developing of marine
The above activities have been suggested for implementation in the Vellimon Kayal, a relatively unspoiled part of the estuary.
With funds provided by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, revival of mangrove forests was done which is reported to be partially successful (out of 2,40,000 mangrove saplings planted over a period of two years 30,000 are reported to be surviving).
Tragic accident
The Island ExpressIsland Express (train)
The Island Express is an Indian Railways train running between Bangalore and Kanyakumari. Train# 16526 runs from Bangalore to Kanyakumari, and Train# 16525 runs in the reverse direction...
train suffered a major accident while crossing a bridge at Perumon on July 8, 1988. A large number of its coaches fell into the lake, and 106 people lost their lives. See: Peruman railway accident
Peruman railway accident
In the Peruman Train Tragedy, the Bangalore - Kanyakumari Island Express train derailed on the Peruman bridge over Ashtamudi Lake, near Perinadu, Kollam, Kerala, India and fell into the lake, killing 105 people on July 8, 1988....
.
External links
- Munroe Island Community tourism project
- Ashtamudi Lake on World Wildlife Fund-India website