Pulicat Lake – A Lagoon That is Birdwatchers Paradise
Pulicat Lagoon is the second largest brackish water lagoon in India, after Chilika Lake. Pulicat Lagoon or Pulicat Lake on the East Coast of India is located 60 kilometres north of Chennai City, in Nellore District of Andhra Pradesh. During the monsoon Pulicat Lake measuring 759 square kilometres, receives freshwater through three major rivers, namely, the Swarnamukhi, the Kalangi and the Arani. Though located in Andhra Pradesh, it is easiest to reach from Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
The lagoon comprises of the following regions, Pulicat Lake in Tamil Nadu & Andhra Pradesh, Marshy Wetland Land Region of Andhra Pradesh, Venadu Reserve Forest of Andhra Pradesh and Pernadu Reserve Forest of Andhra Pradesh. The lagoon is divided in the middle by Sriharikota Link Road, The barrier island of Sriharikota home to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, ISRO separates the lagoon from the Bay of Bengal.
The lagoon encompasses the Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary, a wetland par excellence and a birdwatchers paradise established in September 1976, with area of 172 sq.kms within the lagoon in Nellore district. The lagoon has been a important part of trade route and has been accessed by Arabs, Portuguese, and Dutch who built a church, fort and cemetery on its banks. The Buckingham Canal, a navigation channel, is part of the lagoon on its western side. The lagoon’s water exchange with the Bay of Bengal is through an inlet channel at the north end of Sriharikota and out flow channel of about 200 metres width at its southern end, both of which carry flows only during the rainy season.
The water quality of the lagoon varies widely during various seasons, in summer, pre–monsoon, monsoon and post–monsoon as the depth and width of the lagoon mouth varies. The lagoon has rich flora and fauna diversity, which supports active commercial fishing, a major occupation in villages located around the lagoon and on the islands. It also supports a large and varied bird population with fish, insects and others animals being important part of their prey. On an average 1200 tonnes of fish and crustaceans are harvested annually, including prawns, mullets. jellyfish, finfish and live lagoon green crabs.
Every year around 15,000 greater flamingos and other migratory birds, who visit the lagoon the lake for breeding purposes. Many bird species beside flamingos including pelicans, kingfishers, herons, painted storks, spoonbills and ducks can be seen here, depending on high algal, fish and benthic diversity. Other water birds found in the area include spot-billed pelican, herons, egrets, painted stork, shorebirds, gulls, terns, little grebe also seen in abundance are birds like Indian cormorant, little cormorant, Asian openbill stork, black-headed ibis, Eurasian spoonbill, lesser whistling teal, Indian spot-billed duck, great thick-knee and stone curlew.
Waterfowl, kingfisher, stork, bar-headed goose, ruddy shelduck, Eurasian wigeon, common teal, northern pintail, garganey, northern shoveller, common pochard, brown-headed gull, black-headed gull, whiskered tern, gull-billed tern and Caspian tern are also seen in good numbers around the marsh. Not just these lot of birds of prey re also found on the lagoon, lake and marsh including white-bellied sea eagle, harriers and peregrine falcons.
Due to climate change and erratic northeast monsoon that feeds mostly Chennai and neighbouring areas, the lake and lagoon are facing existential threats and may disappear within the next 100 years by being filled up with silt. Efforts are being made to preserve the lake, lagoon and wetland through a management plan and conservation strategy with Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary playing a major part.
There aren’t many hottels for accommodation nearby so Nellore and Chennai are best places to stay for tourist visiting the lake. Tourist visiting the lake can enjoy the nature and birds. There are lot of activities that tourist can do in and around the lake, like going on trekking to the Dutch fort and cemetery, go on boating on the lake, swimming, watch sun rise/sunset or simply take breath-taking photographs of nature birds, fish. Tourist can also enjoy authentic fish and other seafood in the eateries around the lake. Open to tourist throughout the year the best time to visit is in winter season from October to March. Access to some parts of the lake are sometimes restricted due to activities of ISRO on the Sriharikota island. Pulicat lake is truly a natural preserve tat attracts nature and bird lovers.
