NEWSLINKS
US EDITION
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

Rediff Shopping

Shop & gift from thousands of products!   Books     Music       Apparel   Jewellery   Flowers   More..      Safe Shopping

Indian Navy to guard Orissa's Chilka lake

M I Khan in Bhubaneswar

In a bid to save the sensitive ecosystem of the world-famous Chilka lake from the clutches of the prawn mafia and bird poachers, the Orissa government has decided to take the help of Indian Navy.

"A special task force comprising of Indian Navy personnel along with the forest and fisheries departments will start patrolling the Chilka lake to check encroachments, prevent poaching of birds and enforce the Orissa Marine Fisheries Regulation Act," official sources said.

The navy personnel would spearhead the task force and others would assist them. "The task force will help in maintaining the ecology of the lake besides demolishing the illegal prawn gheries (net enclosures)" said a senior government, who participated in a high-level meeting with naval officials recently.

The task force will be equipped with modern communication systems and speedy flat bottomed boats.

Noted environmentalist Banka Behary Das, who heads the Chilka Bachao Andolan, said the formation of the task force was good news. "Thousands of acres have been encroached for prawn cultivation, since the fish is in great demand in export markets. This can now be stopped," he said.

The Chilka lake is spread over three districts of Khurda, Puri and Ganjam covering 1,055 square kilometres, which swells to 1,165 sq km during the monsoon and receeds to 906 sq km in summer.

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report