CHILIKA LAKE: ECOLOGY,BIODIVERSITY & CONSERVATION

PREPARED & PRESENTED BY:

RAJAN KUMAR:FRM MA2-01

Chilika on globe

Location-19028'N-19054'N & 85005'E-85038'E

Boundries:

East-BOB North-alluvial plain of Mahanadi West & South-hills of eastern ghat

Coverage:

Distt of puri Distt. Of kuurda Distt. Of ganjam

Origin

Quite recent
Holocene period:6000-7000 yrs. Ago

Fundamental process involved: coastal submergence followed by coastal emergence

Litttoral drift :imp. Process in spit barrier formation Evidences of free oceanic connection of chilka in past:sedimentological and minerological studies

Geometry

Shape:pear Max. length:64.30 kms Max. width:18.00 Kms & Min. width:05.00 Kms Spit length:60 kms & width:150m-2000m Depth:0.38-6.20 mts WSA:(Annandale-1915-1924)

1165 sq. km(max.)

906 sq. km (min)

Av. lagoon area-760 sq. km(satellite studies late 1990s)

Ecological divisions
Northern sector

Central sector
Southern sector Outer channel Catchment area:3987 sq. km

Hydrological system

3 major system

Mahanadi-Daya & Bhargavi Rivers from western catchment BOB

No. of rivulets: 52

N-E drainage basin- alluvial(<30m msl)

N & N-W- laterite(30-50 msl)

S & S-W-hills of eastern ghats(upto 600mts)

FW inlets of chilika lake

Physico-chemical character

Imp. Parameters:

Temperature pH Dissolved oxygen Salinity

Ammonia
phosphate

Temperature [03/08-02/09]

Higher temp.recorded during pre-monsoon period Lowest recorded during monsoon

SEASON MAX.(DEGREE CELCIUS) MIN.(DEGREE CELCIUS)

PREMONSOON

34.20.25(OUTER CHANNEL)

30.60.31(SOUTHERN SECTION)

MONSOON

28.5

28.5

POST MONSOON

30.20.12(OUTER CHANNEL)

25.70.75(CENTRAL SECTION)

pH[03/08-02/09]

PH of different parts of chilka varies differently in different season During premonsoon higher pH is recorded in Madarchua (near confluence of palur canal)and Bazarkote During monsoon drop in pH occurs in northern region but not translated in to lower region due to by passing of FW through muggermukh During post monsoon drop in pH is obseved in many places due to increased FW volume

SEASON

MAX.

MIN.

PREMONSOON

8.410.62(CENTRAL SECTION)

7.130.25(SOUTHERN SECTION)

MONSOON

8.40.35(SOUTHERN SECTION)

7.60.53(OUTER CHANNEL)

POST MONSOON

8.670.18CENTRAL SECTION)

7.620.22(CENTRAL SECTION)

DO(03/08-02/09)

Pre monsoon & monsoon do not have much variation in DO at many zone Post monsoon have relatively higher DO @ several places
SEASON MAX.(mg/l) MIN.(mg/l)

PREMONSOON

10.170.23(SOUTHERN SECTION)

1.6260.21(OUTER CHANNEL)

MONSOON

8.70.64(OUTER CHANNEL)

2.840.35(SOUTHERN SECTION)

POST MONSOON

10.320.31(SOUTHERN CHANNEL)

2.910.15(OUTER CHANNEL)

Salinity(03/08-02/09)

Pre monsoon the the area close to BOB like Muggermukh & Arkhakudda have salinity of 30+ ppt During monsoon & post monsoon relatively lower salinity is observed

Zonation based on salinity:

Outer channel-Mixohaline South & central-Mesohaline Northern -Oligohaline

SEASON

MAX.(ppt)

MIN.(ppt)

PREMONSOON

36.820.26(seamouth of outer channel)

5.270.21(Arakhakuda of outer channel)

MONSOON

14.080.31(SOUTHERN SECTION)

4.10.91(OUTER CHANNEL)

POST MONSOON

298.280.32(sea mouth of outer channel)

7.490.41(CENTRAL SECTION)

PO4 (03/08-02/09)

Dissolved PO4 is most critical in maintenance of aquatic fertility. Depends upon soil-water system In recent times PO4 content is increasing due to fertilizer ap[plication in upland area
SEASON PREMONSOON MAX.(micromol/l) 1.0350.06(CENTRAL SECTION) MIN.(micromol/l) 0.170.13(OUTER CHANNEL)

MONSOON

5.40.24(OUTER CHANNEL)

0.8550.25(SOUTHERN SECTION)

POST MONSOON

3.540.15(central section)

0.190.25(southern section)

NO3 (03/08-02/09)

High content of NO3 through out year

In highly weed infested zone NO3 is high

High NO3 with higher pH becomes topic
SEASON PREMONSOON MAX.(micromol/l) 117.40.37(CENTRAL SECTION) MIN.(micromol/l) 1.550.15(southern section)

MONSOON

96.210.54 (southern section)

19.480.61 (SOUTHERN SECTION)

POST MONSOON

94.650.25(central section)

10.460.29(southern section)

Variation in physico-chemical parameters in chilka lake

PARAMETERS pH DO(mg/l) NITRATE PHOSPHATE SALINITY(PPT) BEFORE OPENING OF MOUTH 6.4--9.5 3.9-12.4 0.02-13.1(microgram/L) AFTER OPENING OF NEW MOUTH 7.13-8.67 1.63-10.32 1,55-117.4(micromole/L)

0.12-0.40(microgram/L)
3.8-32

0.17-5.4(micromole/L)
4.1-36.8

Meteorological Aspects

SW monsoon: june-sep(major rainfall)

NE monsoon:nov-dec(minor rainfall)

Av. annual rainfall:1200mm

Wind system:trade winds, south easterlies, north westerlies & cyclonic depression Direction of wind:

feb-sep:from S & SW-clockwise circulation

oct-jan:from N & NW-anticlockwise circulation

Wind major source of circulation & tide minor

Impotance of chilika lake

Livelihood and nutritional security :0.2 million fishermen and 64000 fisher families

Employment through artisnal support services

71% economic value generated from chilka fisheries Av. prod:10,000mt Value of prod:Rs.587 million

High diversity:

Fish-268 sps. Shrimp & prawns-29 sps. Lobsters-2

Crabs -35

Home of Irrawaddy dolphins In Orissa seafood export:

7.56% by volume 6.72% by value

tourism

CHILIKA & RAMSAR

2002 ramsar wetland award

Removed from montreux record

Biodiversity

Fish-268 sps.
Prawns & shrimps-29

lobsters-2
Crabs-35 Phytoplankton-399 sps. Zooplankton-170 sps. Molluscs-136 sps.

Algae -22 sps. Plants-720 sps.(8 rare & 11 endemic) Amphibians-7 sps. Reptiles-30 sps. Birds-225 sps. mammals-18sps.

Annelids-31 sps.
Nematodes-37 sps.

Important fish species

Mugil cephalus
Liza macrolepis Nematalosa nasus Eleutheronema tetradactylum Mystus gulio

Sparus sarba
Lates calcarifer Tenualosa ilisha

Etroplus suretensis
Gerres setifer

Commercial important prawn species

Penaeus indicus

Penaeus monodon
Metapenaeus monoceros Metapenaeus dobsoni

Commercial inportant crabs

Scylla serrata
Portunus sp.

Problem faced by chilika lake

salinity
siltation Chocking of inlet and outer channel WSA Weed infestation

fish landings
Faunal changes

salinity

Most dominant in lake ecology

Overall Av. salinity
YEAR 1957-58 1961-64 1995 SALINITY(PPT) 22.3 9.4-11.8 1.4-6.3

Reasons: Shift of inlet towards north Sediment build at mouth of chilika

Siltation

Approx. 1.5 million tonnes/yr enters in North 0.3 million tonnes/yr from western catchment Nets, prawn traps etc. free sediment movement

Blocking of outlet-restricts outflow of sediments

DEPTH
YEAR
1992-93 1994-95 1996-97

MAX(CM)
340 332 142

MIN(CM)
74 58 42

source:Orissa remote sensing agency

Chocking of inlet & outer channel

Magarmukh-summer depth alarmingly low(0.3m)

Cross section of outer channel reduced -poor flushing action. Causing :

Flood in northern sector

Nalabana bird sanctuary remain submerged during Oct.

Prevent tidal ingress

Shrinkage of WSA

WSA in 1972-73 was 824 sq.km(summer) Land sat-5 data(1986)-790 sq.km

Siltation can be attributed

Weed infestation
Area under weed
YEAR 1973 1977 AREA(SQ.KM) 20 60

1993
1998

398
440

Potomogeton pectinatus dominate central & southern sector Phragmitis karka are emergent weed in northern sector

Fish landings

Av. Fish landing during mid 1980s-6000t

Declined to 1641.5t in 1997-98

Factors:

Over fishing Obstruction of migratory route Salinity changes

Type

Annandale (1914-24)

Ghosh (1995)

comments

Fish

217

69

24 sps. FW

Crustacean Brachyura

36

28

--------------------------------------------------

Molluscs

74

87

50 sps recorded in 1916 not found

Reptalia

22

23

8 sps.recorded in 1916 not found

Mammals

18

18 5 new FAUNAL CHANGES entrant in place of 5 earlier one

CDA and its measures

Comes into picture in 1992

Opening of new mouth along the outer channel

Excavation of lead channel of 3.2 km @ Magarmukh

Renovation of palur canal
Note:EIA of the impact of this lead channel is carried out by NIO

Impacts of measures

in Av. Salinity level

in tidal flux by 45% Improvement in sediment flux Quick discharge of flood waters Decrease in invasive sps.

Auto recruitment of fish & shrimp

8 folds in fish prod.

in Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) habitat from 25.91 sq.km to 183 sq.km
in seaweed area from22.32 sq.km(may 2000) to 86.84 sq.km(jun 2004) Improved biodiversity & return of threatened species

Change in salinity & tidal flux

Declining weed cover in chilika

Weed category Oct 2000 (sq.km) May 2001 (sq.km)

Emergent weeds

86.07

71.62

Free floating weeds

110.74

51.81

Submerged weeds

336.20

227.58

Weed free area

333.20

505.82

Total fish landings:11995 T in 2009-10

Biodiversity restoring

Return of mullets & P.indicus (50% of shrimp landings)

Crabs (20.51% of total during 2001) Six one time considered threatened sps. Are back: Hilsa ilisha; Chanos chanos; Megalops cyprinoids; Elops machnata; Rhabdosargus berda; Rhinomugil corsula Improved seagrass meadow & sps. Diversity

Irrawady dolphin in central & southern region

Remaining problems

Waste water discharge-25 million gallons/day from capital city & from 141 villages
Upstream land use pattern

Regulation of tourism
Lack of strong legislation and implementation

Threats with irrigation project (Naraj barrage)

On going works

Project water with ICEF Microwater shed project ant catchment improvement Biodiversity conservation:

Dolphin survey & research

Bird conservation

Improvent of water exchange & salinity gradient Fisheries resource management

JICA-CDA project

Pilot crab fattening project

Telemetric data collection centre

????

References
Kohli,M.P.S.2007.Ecology & fisheries of wetlands in India. ICAR.2011.Handbook of fisheries & aquaculture

Sakhare V.B.2007. Applied fisheries

CDA.2011.Strengthening of wetland research & training centre & biodiversity conservation of chilika lake Ashish k.Ghosh.Chilika lagoon:exprience & lesson learned GOI.2008.Report on visit to chilka lake in Orissa under NWCMP of MoEF CDA.2005.Habitat evaluation of chilka lake with special reference to bird as bioindicators CICFRI.1998.Chilka lake present & past Patra A.P.2010.Seasonal variation in physicochemical parameters of chilika lake after opening of new mouth near Gabankund,Orissa India.World journal of fish & marine sciences 2,PP.109-117

THANKS!