Tourism plan for Chilika threatens flora and fauna:WSO

Bhubaneswar, Feb 07: The Wildlife Society of Orissa (WSO) has warned that the OTDC's plan to make Chilika Lake a major tourist destination without any environment impact assessment will threaten the rare and endangered flora and fauna there.

WSO secretary Biswajit Mohanty said the Orissa Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) had chalked out several strategies at the lake with of Rs 556 lakhs from the Centre to develop the lake as an important tourist destinations of the state.

He apprehended that if such projects of the OTDC were initiated without conducting any environment impact assessment study, the rare Irrawady dolphins and colourful migratory birds, considered as the centre of attraction for visitors, would soon fade into history.

The detailed review of the proposals have revealed that many of the planned facilities and activities would endanger the local ecology and wildlife of the lake, Mr Mohanty said.

Chilika is an eco-sensitive and CRZ-I area and declared Ramsar site. Species like the Irrawady dolphins and Barkudia skink(limbless lizard) along with a million water fowl every winter and rare species like the terek sandpiper, scaup duck and tufted pochard are some of main centre of attraction.

The secretary also said since the lake has a fragile environment and supports endangered and rare wildlife species, no tourist activity threatening the wildlife or its habitat would be permitted.

The OTDC is yet to carry out any study to gauge the adverse effects of the proposed tourism activities in the lake.
The OTDC was contemplating to buy fan driven high speed airboats for dolphin which would disturb their habitat. Since the air boats could sail on a few inches of water, the dolphins could not even flee to shallow places, the WSO secretary said. Mr Mohanty said the dolphin watching should be only allowed in country boats without any power engine. There were only about 120 dolphins in the lake and every year about 8-10 dolphins were killed folowing the injuries caused by fishing nets.

Their breeding rate has also been affected due to uncontrolled tourism put the mammal under severe stress. Over 500 tourist boats chase the dolphins at Satpada base every day, Mr Mohanty remarked.

He also took strong exception to the OTDC's plan to feed the dolphins stating that such a proposal would endanger them since they would not leave the feeding area which ultimately affect the ecology and breeding habits.

The OTDC, Mr Mohanty said had also envisaged to illuminate the park at Satpada with powerful sodium vapour lamps which would affect the thousands of migratory birds as strong lights near the water would disorient and disturb them.

Similarly, the steel watch towers inside the all around the Nalabana bird sanctuary inside the lake would disrupt bird arrival at Nalabana, he cautioned.

Mr Mohanty said the plan to develop remote islands inside the lake would bring adverse impact on the habitat of rare flora leading to their extinction.

The entire lake and the islands had been identified as CRZ-I areas, he said adding that any alteration in the topography or constructions would violate the CRZ rules.

The WSO, he said had urged the Union Tourism Ministry and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to review the project and drop the harmful components to protect the lake's fragile eco-system and wildlife.

UNI