The biodiversity-rich Oussudu Lake (also Ousteri) now enjoys the rare distinction of coming under the combined preservation intent of the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry governments.
Home to migratory birds and diverse flora, the Oussudu wetlands had presented a conservation nightmare as one half was in Puducherry’s domain while the other in Tamil Nadu.
The dual control, in fact, was being cited as a reason for blunting the benefits of the Puducherry government declaring part of the lake a bird sanctuary in 2008. Now, with the Tamil Nadu government declaring the lake its 15th bird sanctuary recently, environmentalists expect a better coordinated conservation effort to preserve an important wetland that has been ravaged by indiscriminate poaching and fishing.
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In fact, this lake is identified as a wetland of national importance under the National Wetland Conservation Programme of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), and has also been declared one of the 93 significant wetlands in Asia by the Asian Wetland Bureau.
Authorities here are intensifying efforts to protect the flora and fauna of the lake, which is home for over 166 bird species and also one of the major sanctuaries for migratory birds in the Asia.
The largest lake in the Union Territory is situated 10 km from the town. The inter-State lake covers an area of 800 hectares, of which 390 hectares lies in Puducherry.
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According to the Forest and Wildlife Department, 66 species of birds belonging to 47 families were recorded from the lake. The ‘critically endangered’ Spoon-billed sandpiper and ‘endangered’ White-bellied Sea Eagle were recently sighted.
Flamingos, Darter (snake bird), Spot-billed Pelican, Great White Pelican, Painted Stork, Eurasian Spoon Bill and Pallid Harrier are frequent visitors to this wetland. Another regular is the Grey-breasted Prinia, while one of the species that arrives in flocks is the Common Coot.
A couple of years ago, the Coimbatore-based Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History recorded sightings of the black naped hare, bonnet macaque, Indian porcupine and the Indian pangolin. The Centre also handed over to the Wildlife Department a Comprehensive Management Action Plan for Conservation of the Oussudu Sanctuary that encompassed threat identification, minimisation and control, protection, eco-restoration, research and monitoring, outreach and nature education.
G. Satyamurthy, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Forests and Wildlife Department, told The Hindu: “With the assistance of the Forest Department in Tamil Nadu, we will begin joint patrolling in the entire area of the lake and intensify the patrolling round the clock.”
Oussudu, Ramanathapuram, Thondamanatham, Koodappakkam, Thuthipet, Pathukannu, Poraiyur, Agaram, Villianur, Sedarapet and Katterikuppam, Kurambapet, Karasur and Poothurai are the nearby villages virtually flanking the lake. The proximity to these rural areas has been cited as an important reason for the rampant nature of illegal poaching and fishing.
Mr. Sathyamurthy said the department would soon conduct a sensitisation and awareness programme for the villagers in the surrounding areas. The department would shortly undertake dredging in certain areas, manual removing of weeds near the sluice gates and stone-patching of the feeder canals.
“We plan to restrict random access to the sanctuary and will restrict entry to those with a genuine educative purpose,” he said.