31.5 lakh released for sea mouth study

Nellore: Though the Chief Minister had assured to desilt sea mouths at the Pulicat lake with Rs 48 crore, the State government had finally sanctioned Rs 31.5 lakh for conducting the field survey. 

The district administration entrusted the task to Coimbatore-based Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) for taking up detailed study on the present status. The 18,440-hectare Pulicat is the second largest brackish water lagoon in the country. 

At the southern end, it opens into the Bay of Bengal and the lagoon opens into the sea through a comparatively narrow mouth. About 40,000 people, living in 34 villages on the banks of the lake on the Tamil Nadu side, and 25,000 people, living in 15 habitations in AP, depend directly or indirectly on the lake.

The 481 square km lake is home to 160 different fish species and about 110 varieties of terrestrial and aquatic birds and reptiles. There are sea mouths at Tupilipalem, Pudirayadoruvu in Vakadu mandal in Andhra Pradesh and at Pazhaverkadu (Pulicat) village in Tamil Nadu which have been narrowing with sand. 

Silt deposited in the lake system has been creating difficulties to the fishing community, who rely on it for their livelihood. The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) had also recommended to open North mouth near Rayadoruvu village in Vakadu mandal to improve water flow and construction of two walls to prevent closure of the sea mouth. 

The opening of new mouth at Pulinjery Kuppam facilitates sufficient water flow through entire region of Pulicat Lake covering both Tamil Nadu and AP states. Even though, Andhra Pradesh has earmarked Rs 48 crore for opening of sea mouths at the Pulicat Lake, there was no such allocation by the Tamil Nadu government.