One of the major waterbodies and nesting site for migratory birds in Puducherry, the Oussudu Lake, is on the verge of becoming dry.
The lake, spread across 820 hectares and co-managed by Puducherry and Tamil Nadu, has shrunk with water levels dipping to a precariously low level of two metres as against its full depth of 3.5 metres.
In addition to severe drought in Puducherry and Tamil Nadu, the heavy silt that has accumulated along the 10 channels that feed water to the lake in the past 12 years has accentuated the problem while drastically reducing the flow of water to the lake. Experts feel that one of the main reasons for the plummeting water level is the heavy silt that has accumulated in almost all the 10 channels that feed the lake.
Sempadugai Naneeragam, an NGO, points out that Puducherry has lost several of its waterbodies due to lack of maintenance and rapid urbanisation. “The Oussudu Lake has not been desilted for more than 12 years, which in turn, drastically cut down its storage. Conservation of traditional waterbodies like the Oussudu and Bahour lakes has to be undertaken as a priority measure,” says K. Ramamoorthy, president, Sempadugai Naneeragam. An official conceded that though the PWD had received several representations to desilt the lake and raise the water level, no concerted action had been initiated. This was partly due to lack of funding support, he added.
Boat services halted
“The water level in the lake has gone down consistently and there hasn’t been enough water to operate even the pedalling boats at the boat house,” he said.
The plummeting water level has set alarm bells ringing, with wildlife conservationists fearing that it will have dire consequences for the migratory bird population that visits the waterbody for nesting. More than 60 migratory birds, including mallard, bar headed goose, painted storks, pink flamingos, open billed stork, grey pelican, pin tailed teals, white ibis and spoonbill ducks have been sighted in the lake. While Oussudu Lake was partially desilted, the 84 irrigation tanks across Puducherry were taken up for rehabilitation under a European Union (EU)-funded programme called ‘Tank Rehabilitation Project - Puducherry (TRPP) in 2005.
A large tract of fertile land near the lake had been encroached upon by private players in the last few years. The lake should be properly mapped and the encroachments on the feeder channels should be evicted to increase the storage level, Mr. Ramamoorthy said.
