Lok Sabha Question No. 548 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-24
Subject: Rejuvenation of Sathamkotta Lake, Kerala
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Suresh Kodikunnil

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 548

TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.07.2023

## Rejuvenation of Sathamkotta Lake, Kerala

## 548. SHRI KODIKUNNIL SURESH:

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

- (a) whether the Government has undertaken any steps to rejuvenate Sathamkotta freshwater lake in Kollam district in the State of Kerala;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and action taken by the Government in this regard;
- (c) whether the Government conducted any study to ascertain the quality and properties of Sathamkotta  lake that serves as the source of drinking water for a large populace in Kollam district;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  further  allocated  or  disbursed  any  targeted  funds  for  the rejuvenation of said lake;
- (e) if so, the details thereof including allocations made during the last five years and the current year; and
- (f) whether the Government is aware that the area of lake has started to contract at certain locations spanning to about 250 metres to 300 metres at an alarming rate owing to erosion of banks and if so, the action taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

- (a) & (b) Yes, Sir. Under the Scheme of National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Eco-systems (NPCA), an Integrated Management Plan (IMP) was prepared for the Sasthamkotta Lake and the same has been implemented since 2019 by the State Wetland Authority Kerala (SWAK). The major components of IMP include Institution & Governance, Catchment Conservation, Water Management, Biodiversity Conservation, and Sustainable Livelihoods.
- (c) As per the information provided by SWAK, Water Quality Monitoring is being conducted on  quarterly  basis  at  21  pre-fixed  stations  in  Sasthamkotta  Lake  through  Centre  for  Water Resources  Development  and  Management  (CWRDM)  as  part  of  the  Wetland  Inventory Assessment and Monitoring System (WIAMS). The data is in public domain through the WIAMS web portal developed by SWAK.

(d) & (e) An amount of Rs. 88.855 lakhs has been released, so far, as central share to the State Government for conservation and management of Sasthamkotta Lake. Further, through the Global Environmental  Facility  (GEF)  funded  externally  aided  project  -  Integrated  Management  of Wetland Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IMWBES), Sasthamkotta Lake has been selected as a demonstration site in the country for implementation of various conservation activities. Under this project, an amount of Rs. 30 lakhs was released for revision of IMP etc.

(f) As per the information provided by SWAK, the lake is not contracting at such a rate as per the field level observations and available records. However, soil erosion from the banks in a few  locations  is  observed.  In  order  to  address  the  soil  erosion,  location  specific  conservation activities have been incorporated in the revised IMP.

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