Following is an excerpt from a report in the Pioneer.
… with reports of flocking of a huge number of flamingoes from the Far East and South Asian countries including Iran, Pakistan and Bangladesh to the Nalabana Bird Sanctuary in the Chilika lake pouring in. There are also speculations that the birds, in due course of time, may make the sanctuary their permanent home.
Nalabana Bird Sanctuary, which falls under the Chilika lagoon, is situated some 100 km away from Bhubaneswar. While 40 per cent of the visiting birds have already left Chilika with the onset of summer, flamingoes and pelicans are yet to start on their journey, informed Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Abhimanyu Behera. Around 1,680 flamingoes were counted this year during the annual bird survey, conducted on January 5. Their number increased to 2,600 by the end of February. Almost all of them had gathered in the 16.59 sq km Nalabana sanctuary, Behera said. In the last two years, hundreds of flamingoes have chosen to stay back in Chilika instead of returning home, he said. "The flamingoes which preferred to stay back in Chilika, go to Kutch in Gujarat during the rains for breeding before returning to the lake," he said.
Following is an excerpt from a news report in Pioneer.
Ansupa, Orissa’s largest fresh water lake, 70 km from here, is set to be revived at a cost of Rs 6.41 crore. The Finance Commission is funding the first phase of the project, during which the lake’s silt load is being removed.
… Chief Secretary Ajit Kumar Tripathy said the State Government aimed at bringing back both aquatic life and tourists to Ansupa. An existing channel would be revived to facilitate entry of water and trees would be planted on the banks of the lake to check soil erosion, he said, adding that development of ecotourism was an integral part of the project.
The lake previously used to boast of a picture perfect setting between Saranda and Bishnupur hills on the outskirts of the sub-divisional town of Athgarh and was home to migratory birds in winter. It, however, suffered a slow death due to severe erosion around its catchment area, silting and proliferation of algae and hyacinth plants. The lake’s depth has now been reduced to 10 feet from the original 40 feet.
The revival project, being implemented by the District Rural Development Agency, Cuttack, under the Ansupa Area Development Scheme, aims at reopening of the Kabulanala channel on the lake’s south-east side, which used to link it with the Mahanadi till an embankment was constructed on the river a decade back. The floodwaters used to enter the lake from the south-eastern side through the channel and flush out the weeds through a stream, Hulhullanala, which runs into the Mahanadi on the south-western side.
The proposed opening of the channel would revive the natural process of de-weeding as the embankment stalled this natural process and the water entering into the lake could not get released. The heavy silting had set in due to the soil erosion from Saranda hill on the lake’s western side and Bishnupur hill on its north-eastern side due to deforestation. Besides, conversion of the silted area into paddy fields worsened the situation.
The New Indian Express has a report regarding plans to revamp the Padmatola Lake in Balasore district to attract eco-tourists. Following is an excerpt.
The lake in a picturesque location at Kansa near Nilagiri, is spread over 41.26 acres. Migratory birds in large numbers visit it during winter. The Kuldiha sanctuary is also about 10 km away.
