Vembanad Lake: Kerala | 03 Jul 2021

Kerala houseboats in Vembanad Lake are about to begin soon amid a robust vaccination drive.

Vembanad Lake is also known as Vembanad Kayal, Vembanad Kol, Punnamada Lake (in Kuttanad) and Kochi Lake (in Kochi).
Spanning several districts of Kerala and covering a territory of more than 2033.02 km².
The lake has its source in four rivers, Meenachil, Achankovil, Pampa and Manimala
It is separated from the Arabian Sea by a narrow barrier island and is a popular backwater stretch in Kerala.
Vallam Kali (i.e Nehru Trophy Boat Race) is a Snake Boat Race held every year in the month of August in Vembanad Lake.
In 2002, it was included in the list of wetlands of international importance, as defined by the Ramsar Convention.
- It is the second-largest Ramsar site in India only after the Sundarbans in West Bengal.
The Government of India has identified the Vembanad wetland under the National Wetlands Conservation Programme.
The Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary is located on the east coast of the lake.
In 2019, Willingdon Island, a seaport located in the city of Kochi, was carved out of Vembanad Lake.
One of the most outstanding features of this lake is the 1252 m long saltwater barrier, Thanneermukkom, which was built to stop saltwater intrusion into Kuttanad.