New scheme to carry out eco-restoration work in Chilika lagoon

Bhubaneswar: In a bid to address ecological and geo-morphological instability in the Chilika lagoon, chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday announced a new scheme.Under the initiative, dredging will be undertaken in the lead, Balugaon and Magarmukh channels, ferry route and Palur canal to address ecological and geo-morphological instability, the CM said.
"Chilika is Asia's largest brackish water lagoon and India's first Ramsar site with a unique marine brackish freshwater ecosystem. Chilika presently faces acute ecological and geo-morphological instability. For the purpose, I announce a new scheme, ‘Eco-restoration Work in Chilika Lagoon'," the CM said.The budget revealed the govt's plan for 2026-27 for Chilika under ‘consolidation and eco-restoration work', which will help restore tidal exchange, improve salinity balance and revitalise the fish population.Earlier, the govt, with technical assistance from IIT Chennai, prepared a Rs 2,000 crore draft detailed project report (DPR) for restoration of Chilika. Law and works minister Prithiviraj Harichandan and Puri MP Sambit Patra met Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman to seek the Centre's help to restore the lagoon and redevelop Chilika's ecosystem and tourism.The preliminary project report (PPR) sought interventions in opening a new tidal mouth based on detailed numerical model analysis, desilting critical internal channels alongside maintenance and dredging, and conducting detailed bathymetric (measure lake bed) and hydro-sedimentological surveys.Earlier in the assembly, forest minister Ganesh Ram Singkhuntia said that the depth of Chilika has decreased each year, with his department extracting 326,716 cubic metres of muddy sludge in the past five years. Every year, 8,00,000 metric tonnes of muddy soil enter Chilika. The lake's minimum depth is 0.38 metres, while the maximum is 6.20 m.The PPR focused on reopening the mouth as essential to maintain salinity, improve fish migration, reduce stagnation and reduce weed growth.Chilika lagoon, spread over 1,100 sq km, has different types of habitats at Mangalajodi, which is known for reed swamps; Nalabana for mudflats and reed swamps; Satapada for its beach; and Rambha, which has open water.