Rapid Fire
Vembanad Lake
- 01 Jan 2025
- 2 min read
The Alappuzha district administration in Kerala will launch a mega plastic cleaning drive as part of the Vembanad lake rejuvenation project. This initiative aims to restore the health of the lake, a Ramsar site and India’s second-largest wetland system.
- Additional efforts include establishing a bio-shield, setting up a Vembanad Lake Interpretation Centre, a yarn museum, bottle booths, promoting community tourism, and stocking fish seeds.
- Awareness programmes will be held for fishers, houseboat employees, and local residents to emphasize the importance of lake conservation.
- A 2023 study revealed the degraded state of Vembanad lake, impacting the livelihoods of around eight million people. The lake's water retention capacity has declined by 85.3% from 1990 to 2020.
- Vembanad Lake: Vembanad is the largest lake in Kerala and the longest lake in India.
- Vembanad-Kol is the largest brackish, humid tropical wetland ecosystem on the southwest coast of India. It is fed by 10 rivers and is typical of large estuarine systems on the western coast.
- In 2002, Vembanad was designated as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance.
- It is also included in the National Wetlands Conservation Programme by the Government of India.
- Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, also known as the Vembanad Bird Sanctuary, is located on the lake's east coast.
Read more: Vembanad Lake: Kerala
