A new action plan to save lakes in Kerala

In a major initiative to give a fresh lease of life to the lakes in south Kerala such as Ashtamudi, Sasthamcotta and Vellayani lakes, the state government plans to formulate an integrated action plan to protect lakes and to constitute a state wetland authority to conserve all wetland ecosystems in the state. In addition to the protection of three Ramsar sites, which include Vembanand lake spread across Kuttanad and Kochi, Ashtamudi and Sasthamcotta lakes in Kollam, a proposal will be sent to the Centre to declare Kavvai lake as a Ramsar site and to protect it. "The third largest lake after Vembanad and Ashtamudi, Kavvai lake spreads from Payyannur in Kannur district to Neeleshwaram in Kasaragod district and it needs to be conserved", said Kerala state council for science, technology and environment (KSCTSE) wetland technology unit coordinator Hari Narayanan. The revised proposal will also seek to protect other wetland ecosystems in the state such as Vellayani lake in Thiruvananthapuram, Kottuli in Kozhikode and Kadalundi lake spread across Kozhikode and Malappuram districts and to include them in the national lake conservation plan (NLCP), formulated by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, he said.