The Consulate General of India in New York has invited tourists from around the globe to discover the serene beauty of Chilika Lake in the state of Odisha, India.
Encouraging visitors to explore Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon, the consulate also promotes the opportunity to witness the glistening waters and explore a haven for wildlife and culture, labelling it as an essential destination for nature lovers. Situated on the east coast of India and connected to the Bay of Bengal through a narrow sea mouth, Chilika is a lagoon teeming with life.
As the largest brackish water lagoon with estuarine characteristics along the east coast, it serves as the largest wintering ground for migratory waterfowl in the Indian sub-continent. Recognized as one of the country’s biodiversity hotspots, the lagoon is home to several rare, vulnerable, and endangered species listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals, according to the Chilika Development Authority’s official website.
A survey on fauna conducted by the Zoological Survey of India from 1985 to 1987 recorded over 800 species in and around Chilika. This includes numerous rare, threatened, and endangered species, such as the Barakudia limbless skink. Due to its rich biodiversity and ecological importance, Chilika was designated as India’s first “Ramsar Site.”
Nalaban Island within the lagoon is designated as a bird sanctuary under the Wildlife (Protection) Act. The National Wetlands, Mangroves, and Coral Reefs Committee of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, has identified the lagoon as a priority site for conservation and management. Chilika is a highly productive ecosystem with rich fishery resources, sustaining the livelihood of over 0.15 million fisherfolk residing in and around the lagoon.The water spread area of Chilika varies between 1,165 square kilometres during the monsoon and 900 square kilometres in the summer. A 32-kilometre-long narrow outer channel connects the main lagoon to the Bay of Bengal, near the village of Motto. The mouth connecting this channel to the sea is located near the north-eastern end of the lagoon.
During the dry months from December to June, high tides near this inlet mouth drive saltwater through the channel. With the onset of the rains, the 52 rivers and rivulets flowing into Chilika are in space, pushing seawater out with freshwater currents. Due to the littoral drift along the east coast, the inlet mouth’s position constantly changes.
Chilika Lagoon can be broadly divided into four ecological sectors based on salinity and depth: the southern zone, central zone, northern zone, and outer channel. Several islands are scattered throughout the lagoon, both inhabited and uninhabited, with prominent ones including Krushnaprasad, Nalaban, Kalijai, Somolo, Honeymoon, Breakfast, and Birds Island.
