The most important water resources are wet lands like lakes and reservoirs. Apart from being sources of water, Lakes are highly productive eco systems. A large number of people depend upon the lake resources for irrigation, drinking, fishery, energy production etc. for their sustenance. It has unique bio diversity character. It harbors a large number of aquatic fauna and flora. Sometimes the productivity is more than agriculture resources. Coastal lakes like Chilika lake and inland lake like Ansupa lake Orissa are very important water resources and very famous Natural Heritage sites.
Ansupa lake is the largest very old fresh water lake of Orissa. It is situated between 85°–86° E Long., & 20°31′ N Latitude near the bank of biggest river Mahanadi. It was formed as a part (Ansa in Oriya language) of the biggest river Mahanadi a water source (Pata in Oriya language), called “Ansa Pata” now called as Ansupa lake. It is bounded by Saranda hills on the western side and Bishnupur hills on its northern side, part of eastern Ghat region. It is of national importance due to its unique bio diversity character.
It is linked directly with river by a channel, Kabula Nalla, which acts as both inlet and outlet, through which flood water enters the lake and excess water also goes out after the flood. Another channel Hulluhula Nala, which was acting as inlet is now defunct.
The water spread area was 419.15 Acres now reduced to 375 to 380 Acres. The maximum depth was about 15 to 20 meters, now reduced to 8 to 10 meters. The average depth being 4 meters. The total catchment area is about 2810 ha., reduced to 1544 ha. for treatment. It harbors 24 types of aquatic flora having submerged, floating and emergent types of weeds, 27 types of fishes, 29 types of migratory & resident birds, 12 types of reptiles. The rain fall is 48 inch to 15 inch per year and the relative humidity is 47%.
It is surrounded by 4 Panchayats having about 25,000 people who depend upon the lake resources for their day to day living, mostly fishery.
Due to various environmental degradations like siltation, decrease in flow circulation of water, closer of inlet and outlet mechanism of flow of water, highly eutrophic condition, weed infestation, the lake is degrading very fast threatening the eco system. As a result, the fishery and tourism potentials were adversely affected.
Realizing the importance of conserving the lake the State Govt. has initiated an Integrated Sustainable Environmental Management Programme like Catchment Area Treatment, including Soil Conservation Measures with heavy plantations to arrest siltation and eutrophication, engineering intervention to augment floor circulation of water by opening inlet channel from river Mahanadi and developing outlet channel, desilting and deweeding activities, Weed Management Activities, Common Property Resource Management including development of Fishery and Eco-tourism and Constant Environmental Monitoring to assess the progress of the work. Apart from that various socio-economic activities like Community Participation through Water Shed Committees, SHG formation and training etc. for alternate income generation activities are being carried out for the peripheral villages of the lake.
The key management strategy is that all activities are being carried out very successfully with active participation of local committee to make it sustainable.
Integrated, Sustainable, Environmental, Management, Lake and Community, Participation
