At present, Chilika faces various types of threats. The whole biosphere of Chilika is very sensitive as different soil and water chemistries operate within the lagoon. A biosphere should be treated as sanctum sanctorum but thanks to the economic interests of several sections of people, the fate of the lake seems doomed.
If we critically examine the present situation of Chilika, the biosphere of the lake as a whole is economically exploited beyond the bearing capacity of the lagoon. The whole environment of Chilika is polluted for various economic reasons. The hydrosphere, the atmosphere, the lithosphere and the soil are polluted heavily to fulfill the greed of man. Here, the relations between the plants, animals and nonliving components become strained due to perpetual interferences of the man.
India is a member of the World Conservation Union. The cardinal principles of conservation strategy and its success depend on three essential points such as (1) Essential ecological process and life support systems must be maintained; (2) The genetic diversity must be preserved and (3) Any use of species or ecosystems must be sustainable.
But in case of Chilika biosphere, it is not followed thoroughly on political and economic grounds. Recently, the Government of India is going to construct a National Highway cum marine drive road along the sea-coast of Odisha from Gopalpur to Digha, which will pass on Chilika lagoon.
Two marine sanctuaries such as Chilika and Bhitarakanika are very popular. If such economic track is worked out, there is also chance that the Bitarakanika sanctuary will be affected. There are no substitutes in place of these two unique biosphere reserves. Particularly, if the four-km bridge- cum- National Highway will pass through the lagoon, it will face a number of ecological hazards.
The four-km bridge over Chilika will arrest the silt, which will cause the siltation of Chilika lagoon. The eroded soil from Eastern-Ghat which generally passes on to ocean through river water will be locked by the piers and the piers of the bridge will work as break-waters of the river systems drained into Chilika.
As a result, the chemistry of the soil and water body of Chilika will change drastically. The average salt concentration of Chilika water body will increase from 15 PPT, which can go up and up and become the cause of destruction of bio-diversities of the Chilika lagoon. The sustainability of soil and water chemistry will be at stake.
A sort of ecological disaster will be invited due to constant and perpetual air, water, soil and sound and light pollutions. This will cause destruction to the ecological harmony of the lagoon. The mouths into ocean of Chilika lagoon will be silted-up very often, which will be the chief causes of harming the bio-diversities of Chilika biosphere and lead to formation of back water to harm the populations of the vicinity.
The ecological potentialities of the lagoon will sharply fall. Many economic species of ground flora and fauna, including fishes and shellfishes and lizards, will suffer most due to concentration of salt percentage in the bodies of water and soil of Chilika. This process will increase in every moment creating an ecological disastrous situation.
The rookeries of various animals and birds will be at stake. The residential as well as the non-residential animals and birds, which prefer to throng the lake to nest and breed will be deprived of a favourable environment. Similarly, the migratory and seasonal birds, which are coming from far-off foreign lands like Siberia will be deprived of suitable environment as the lake will not be congenial for them anymore. The tourist attractions for winter guests of Chilika will be at risk. The prawn cultivations within the lagoon have occupied major portions of Chilika land mass. The water body is constantly poisoned through various chemicals.
There various eco-systems within Chilika lagoon, which have their own climatic identities and which support various bio-diversification also of the wetland. Such process of nature will be at stake. When the road alignment of a new road is made, the preliminary operations like “reconnaissance” is made to know the feasibility of the project for the interests of the local communities, but such task is not followed before giving final shape to the construction of the NH within the coastal region.
Now- a- days, Odisha is very much subjected to climatic changes and climatic hazards and sea-erosion have become a major threat to the State’s coasts. Due to sharp erosions of sandy beaches, the edge of the coast becomes so high that the Olive-Ridley sea turtles will be unable to reach the sand flats of the coast to form nests. Situation of the Devi river mouth is a burning example.
(The writer is a former senior forest officer and an environmentalist. Tel no 9937460649)