Chilika Lake

Chilika Lake Latest News

The Odisha government is preparing a new action plan for the protection of Chilika Lake’s biodiversity and the development of its surrounding areas.

About Chilika Lake

• It is a brackish water lake and a shallow lagoon with estuarine character spread across the districts of Puri, Khurda, and Ganjam in the state of Odisha.
• It is Asia’s largest brackish water lake.
• Located at the mouth of the Daya River, Chilika Lake is the second-largest brackish water lagoon in the world, after the New Caledonian barrier reef in New Caledonia.
• The waterspread area of Chilika varies between 900 to 1165 sq. km. during summers and monsoons, respectively.
• It is connected to the Bay of Bengal by a 32 km long and 1.5 km wide channel that mostly runs parallel to the Bay, separated by a narrow spit.
• Chilika Lake has several islands, such as:
  • Nalabana Island – Declared a Bird Sanctuary (1987)
  • Kalijai Island – Known for the Kalijai Temple
  • Other islands include Honeymoon Island, Breakfast Island, Beacon Island, Satpada Island, etc.
• In 1981, Chilika Lake was designated the first Indian wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
• Biodiversity:
  • It is the largest wintering ground for migratory birds on the Indian subcontinent. 
  • Birds from the Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal, Aral Sea, and other remote parts of Russia, Kirghiz steppes of Mongolia, Central and Southeast Asia, Ladakh and Himalayas come here. 
  • White-bellied sea eagles, Graylag Geese, Purple Moorhen, Jacana, Herons, and Flamingos are among the many species which make the lake a bird watcher’s delight. 
  • It is also home to one of the world’s largest breeding colonies of Flamingos.
  • Apart from the avifaunal species, the region also highlights varied wild animals such as Blackbuck, Golden Jackals, Spotted Deer, and Hyenas.
  • It is also famous for its population of Irrawaddy dolphins.

Source: NIE

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