The Pulicat lake
The second largest saltwater lagoon in India, after the Chilika Lake, is the Pulicat lake, a brackish water lagoon, rich in floral and faunal diversity, that is spread over the Nellore and Thiruvalluvar districts of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu respectively. About 60 km in length, the lake is spread out over an area of 720 sq km, of which 84% lies in Andhra Pradesh and the remaining 16% in Tamil Nadu.
Pulicat lake is fed by three rivers– the Swarnamukhi from the north, the Kalangi from the northwest, and the Arani from the south – and some smaller streams. Aligned parallel to the coastline with its western and eastern parts covered with sand ridges, the lagoon is separated from the Bay of Bengal by a spindle-shaped barrier island named Sriharikota (on which the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, a satellite and rocket launch centre of the ISRO, is located).
Water flows into the lagoon from the sea through an inlet at the island’s northern end and back from the lagoon to the sea through an outlet channel at the southern end. Salinity of the water varies from season to season, reaching its highest during the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon months and lowest during the monsoon season.
The lake and its environs are steeped in history. Pulicat, under the name Podouke, is mentioned in ancient Greek and Roman records as an important port on the east coast of India in the 1st and 2nd centuries. In the 13th century, the shores of the lagoon became a refuge for Arab mariners who migrated here after being banished from Mecca. In subsequent centuries, the lagoon was colonised first by the Portuguese and then by the Dutch.
The Dutch East India Company set up a factory in the area in 1610, which was to be their principal trading post for the next 200 years. Later it was ceded to the British, who converted Pulicat into a fishing village and health resort.
Pulicat lake is considered a storehouse of rich biological resources, as it supports active commercial fisheries and a large and varied bird population. It is known to support 168 species of fish, including both seawater and freshwater species. Over 12000 fishermen and their families, residing in the vicinity, make their living on the catch obtained from the lake.
Known for its diversity of aquatic birds, the lake is an important stopover on migration routes and is considered the third most important wetland for migratory shorebirds along the eastern coast. Resident and migratory waterfowl found here include pelicans, herons, storks, flamingos, ducks, shorebirds, gulls, terns and many species of raptors. The lake is a legally notified bird sanctuary, managed by the Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu Forest Departments.
Today, the Pulicat lake faces several environmental and industrial issues threatening the biodiversity of the wetland and the livelihood of the fisherfolk. A major threat is pollution in the form of garbage (plastic bags and other non-biodegradable materials) dumped by tourists, oil spills from boats in the satellite port of Ennore creek, and industrial wastes, including toxic fly ash, discharged fromt he nearby thermal power station.
