Kolleru Lake

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The endangered Kolleru Lake at dusk.

Kolleru Lake is a large freshwater lake in India's Andhra Pradesh state. It is located between the deltas of the Krishna and Godavari rivers, in Krishna and West Godavari districts. The lake serves as a natural flood-balancing reservoir for the two rivers. The lake is fed directly by the seasonal Budameru and Tammileru rivers, and is connected to the Krishna and Godavari systems by over 68 inflowing drains and channels. The lake was an important habitat for an estimated 20 million resident and migratory birds, including the Grey or Spot-billed Pelican (Pelecanus philippensis). The lake was notified as a wildlife sanctuary in November 1999 under India's Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, and designated a wetland of international importance in November 2002 under the international Ramsar Convention. The wildlife sanctuary covers an area of 308 sq kms.

However , the lake suffered from the unsatiated greed of the moneyed people and selfish interests of mankind exploited the lake’s integrity and thousands of fish tanks were dug up thus effectively converting the lake into a drain. This had impact in terms of pollution leading to even difficulty in getting drinking water for the local people, impact on livelihoods of poor people, increased incidence of diseases in this region.

This is beside the loss of ecological diversity and intrusion of sea water into the land mass and its fallout in terms of adverse influence of rainfall pattern in this region of the country.

Also adversely effected was the lakhs of acres of crop loss in the upper reaches of sanctuary in view of stoppages of water flow into the sea because of obstruction by bunds of these illegal fish tanks.

Satellite images taken on February 9, 2001 by the Indian remote sensing satellite IRS-1D and analysed by Dr. K Nageswara Rao from Andhra University found that approximately 42 per cent of the 245 km² lake was occupied by aquaculture, while agriculture had encroached on another 8.5 percent. The area under aquaculture consisted of 1050 fishponds within the lake and 38 dried-up fish ponds, which together covered an area of 103 km². The agricultural encroachments were mostly rice paddies. No clear water could be found in the satellite image. The rest of the lake was being diminished by water diversions or was infested with weeds like elephant grass and water hyacinth.

By 2006, it was estimated that over 72% of the Sanctuary was encroached upon for unsustainable aquaculture. Despite a Judgment of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh in 2001, upholding the notification of the Kolleru Wildlife Sanctuary, the orders of the High Court were not implemented.

Restoration of Kolleru lake was primarily taken up by the District Collector of West Godavari , Lav Agarwal as per the instructions of the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh .The whole opeartion was spread over a period of one and a half year and was taken up in three phases.

In first phase, breaches in the identified 380 Fish Tanks was executed so as to remove obstruction in the way of flood water to flow to sea. The paddy fields of 1.5 lakh acres were made free from floods and almost one lakh farmers found their way to grow second crop (Rabi).

Pranay Waghray of Nallamalai Foundation had filed a petition before the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) appointed under the aegis of the Supreme Court of India. Proactiveness of State governmnet to ensure implementation of the Sancturay laws led CEC in January 2006 to undertake a field visit in response to the petition. Following a series of hearings before the CEC and the Supreme Court in response to petitions filed by the aquaculture operators, the Supreme Court delivered a Judgment in the matter that the notification of the Sanctuary was upheld, that no fish tanks could subsist in the lake and that the lake had to be restored to its natural state.

It is this legal battle which became the second phase. On one side the legal battle was fought by the District Administration and on the other sustained efforts were made to win over the hearts of the Kolleru people towards the restoration process.Series of meetings were organized by the district administration to convince the masses and elicit their support for the operation.

The third phase was the actual demolition of fish tanks in around 31,000 acres of land in West Godavari district alone with explosives, proclains and man power. In this phase also highlight was convincing people who were opposing the restoration and even motivating them at times to demolish the tanks themselves.

The whole process was done through Ahimsa ( Non Violence) and Prema(Affection) and taken up in the district of West Godavari and Krishna under the able leadership of the respective District Collectors, Lav Agarwal and Navin Mittal and under the guidance of the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh , Raj Shekar Reddy.

The cause of restoration was defied by several Kolleru leaders, big fish tank holders and political leaders. The wrath and agony of the all above sections was expressed in several ways such as staging dharnas(demonstrations), rasto rokos(blockages of roads), rallies etc. The peculiar way of organizing all these practices is by organizing women and children in the forefront. If any lathi charge(caning by police) or any law and order problem crops up women and children would be the worst sufferers of the incident.The leaders always planned to organize and create situation where there are injuries to women and children so as to attract the concern and support of the society in their vested interest.

The wrath and agony promoted by these vested interest individuals/leaders and certain political organizations was endured in the interest of the poor and innocent masses. Not even a single lathi was raised against the agitators. They were convinced with the love and affection .

The vested interest individuals , so called Kula leaders and some political organizations instigated innocent poor women to stage dharnas, rasta rokos in front of District Collector and his team and in front of machines employed for demolition i.e., poclains. Even children weren’t spared. The children of the Kolleru people were brought to Eluru town and made to stage a dharna in front of Collectorate. These people instigated even police personnel so as to ensure an anticipated Law and Order issue at the cost of children and women.

Lav Agarwal and his team ensured that the total operation was completed with non-violence. All the officers and personnel including police were strictly advised to refrain themselves from indulging in any activity that provokes violence. Mr. Agarwal appealed to all to achieve the noble cause with peace and love and was able to do it.

Lav Agarwal followed Gandhian Principles and did extensive touring of the entire Kolleru area, interacted with Kolleru people several times, made night halts, mingled with people and saw their poverty stricken conditions as a result of exploitation by the vested interest lobbies. He also therefore paid equal attention to create alternative livelihood package for the poor.

The alternative livelihood package was prepared with Participatory Approach. A Socio-Economic survey was conducted in Kolleru villages & as per the real field level feedback poor were provided the livelihood alternatives.

Showing remarkable resilience, the lake has bounced back in short time. As soon as the structure of the lake was effectively restored in June, a group of 15 Grey Pelicans was photographed in the lake along with thousands of Asian Open bill storks and Painted storks. By November 2006, over 3,500 Grey Pelicans had arrived at Atapaka in the Sanctuary and were trying desperately to nest but could not succeed due to lack of nesting substrate (sufficient trees were not available). Finally, about 350 Grey Pelicans have now settled in and are nesting at Atapaka.

Rich in flora and fauna, it attracts migratory birds from northern Asia and Eastern Europe between the months of October and March. During this season, the lake is visited by an estimated 20,00,000 birds. The resident birds include include grey pelicans, Asian Open-billed Storks (Anastomus oscitans), Painted Storks (Mycteria leucocephala), Glossy Ibises, White Ibises, Teals, Pintails, Shovellers. The migratory birds include Red-Crested Pochards, Blackwinged Stilts, Avocets, Common Redshanks, Wigeons, Gadwalls and Cormorants, Garganys, Herons, Flamingos & among others.

The sanctuary has the following watch towers for sighting the birds.

Atapaka: 1.5 km from Kaikaluru to see varieties of waterfowl. Murthyraju tank 8 km from Nidamarru East Chodavaram: 53 km from Eluru where Open Bill Storks nest in colonies from July – December.

The sanctuary is approachable from all four sides of the lake by road, directly to the following places.

Atapaka – 1.5 km from Kaikaluru town Murthiraju Tanks – 8 km from Nidamarru Gudivakalanka – 3 km from Gudivakalanka or 15 km from Eluru Nearest city is Vijayawada, which is 65 km by road or rail. Nearest town is Eluru

Best season to visit: November to March.

Accommodation: Hotels in Eluru,Kaikaluru and Vijayawada.

Coordinates: 16°39′N 81°13′E