Lok Sabha Question No. 3218 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-12-06
Subject: Conservation of Lakes
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Thomas Chazhikadan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3218

TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.12.2019

## Conservation of Lakes

## 3218.  SHRI THOMAS CHAZHIKADAN:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has any plan to allocate more funds for the conservation of lakes in Kerala;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has noticed that the ecological balance of Vembanad lake in Kerala has been severely affected due to the recent floods;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the details of schemes to be implemented in Vembanad lake as part of its conservation during the next three years?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)

- (a) & (b) Funds under the centrally sponsored scheme of NPCA are allotted to States based on their requirements and the proposals received. So far, an amount of Rs. 917.272 lakh has been  released  to  the  Government  of  Kerala  for  conservation  and  management  of  wetlands which includes Rs. 184.042 lakh for Ashtamudi, Rs. 88.855 lakh for Sasthamkotta, Rs. 60.00 lakh for Kottuli, Rs. 69.925 lakh for Kuttanad, Rs. 84.45 lakh Vembanad-Kol and Rs. 430.00 lakh for Veli Akkulum.

(c) & (d)  On the basis of information received from Government of Kerala, Preliminary Postflood  Assessment  of  Wetland  Ecosystem  with  special  focus  on  Ramsar  Site  in  Kerala  was done by a team from Directorate of Environment & Climate Change. The brief report reveals that,

-  In the Vembanad wetland the damage to the wetlands/coastal resources was noticed in entire area especially Thottappalli, Kochi Bar Mouth and Munambam Bar Mouth.
-  The Ecological changes like decrease in native fish diversity and catch, appearance of the fish disease -Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome, sudden increase catch of exotic/cultured fish species like Red Belly Pacu (Piaractus sp.,  Catla, Rohu, Koorivala (Pangasius  sp.);  solid  waste  accumulation  especially  plastic  in  the  spawning  and feeding grounds was observed.
-  Along  11 locations such as Mulavukad,  Vallarpadam,  Vypin,  Mangalavanam, Kumbalam,  Nettoor-Valanthakkad,  Pallippuram,  Chenganda,  Cheranallur,  Vechur
- north, Kumarakom damage occurred to all stretches of mangroves due to plastic/other solid waste accumulation as a result of flooding.
-  Shelterbelt  plantations  damaged  /  submerged  /  lost:  Along  2  locations  such  as Thottapally and Veeyapuram Shore trees like 'Aattuvanchi'  (Ochreinauclea missionis) got uprooted.

(e)   An integrated Management Action Plan for Vembanad  was received from Government of Kerala during the financial year 2017-18. Ministry has sanctioned an amount of Rs. 140.75 lakh to the Government of Kerala on 60:40 cost sharing basis which includes Rs. 84.45 lakh as Central share and Rs. 56.30 lakh as State share in 2017-18.

The goal of management planning for Vembanad-Kol is to conserve its rich biological diversity  and  maintain  full  range  of  ecosystem  services  derived  from  the  wetland  complex. The purpose is to  put  in  place  effective  management  practices  which  enable  integration  of biological  diversity  and  ecosystem  service  values  in  river-basin  and  coastal  zone  level conservation  and  developmental  planning  which  focuses  on  1)  Sustainability  of  backwater tourism  2)  Monitoring  and  evaluation  for  ecological  character  change  3)  Capacity  building 4)Sustaining  wetland  agriculture  5)  Ensuring  appropriate  balance  of  estuarine  and  coastal processes and hydrological connectivity and 6)Adaptive management.

The action plan is envisaged under three components namely institutional arrangements, ecosystem conservation and sustainable resource development and community livelihoods.

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