The Kerala High Court recently directed the State Government and the State Wetland Authority Kerala (SWAK) to constitute an Ashtamudi Wetland Management Unit for the conservation of the wetland within two months of a notification being issued for this.
About Ashtamudi Lake:
It is a freshwater lake located in the Kollam District of Kerala.
It is the second largest lake in Kerala, after Vembanad Lake.
It covers an area of around 61.4 sq.km. The lake runs over a length of 16 kilometres.
It is often referred to as the gateway to the backwaters of Kerala.
It is a large palm-shaped (also described as octopus-shaped) water body.
The name ‘Ashtamudi’is adapted from the topography of the lake.‘ Ashta’ means eight, and ‘mudi’ means coned.
The lake gets its name, Ashtamudi, because of its 8 arms or channels.
The lake is fed by several rivers, including the Kallada River.
It eventually drains into the Arabian Sea through the Neendakara estuary.
It was designated as a Ramsar site in 2002.
The historical significance of Ashtamudi Lake dates back to the 14th century, when the lake surroundings were the important port connecting the ancient city of Quilon to the rest of the world.
Historical records of the Moroccan explorer Ibn Battuta highlights Quilon city, on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake as one of the major trading centers in the ancient period.
Biodiversity:
The wetland supports 57 species of birds (6 migratory and 51 resident species) and 97 species of fish (42 typically marine, 3 estuarine, 9 estuarine-riverine, and 15 marine-estuarine).
The lake supports several endangered and endemic species, such as the pearl spot fish, the mangrove crab, the otter, the water snake, the kingfisher, the egret, the heron, and the cormorant.
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