Kolleru Lake
Encyclopedia
Kolleru Lake is a large freshwater lake
located in Andhra Pradesh
state, India
. Kolleru is located between Krishna
and Godavari delta. Kolleru spans into two districts - Krishna and West Godavari. The lake serves as a natural flood-balancing reservoir for these two rivers. The lake is fed directly by water from the seasonal Budameru and Tammileru streams, and is connected to the Krishna and Godavari systems by over 68 inflowing drains and channels.
The lake was an important habitat for an estimated 20 million resident and migratory bird
s, including the Grey or Spot-billed Pelican
(Pelecanus philippensis). The lake was notified as a wildlife sanctuary in November 1999 under India's Wildlife Protection Act of 1972
, and designated a wetland of international importance
in November 2002 under the international Ramsar Convention
. The wildlife sanctuary covers an area of 308 km².
Satellite images taken on February 9, 2001 by the Indian remote sensing satellite found that approximately 42% of the 245 km² lake was occupied by aquaculture
, while agriculture
had encroached another 8.5%. The area under aquaculture consisted of 1050 fish ponds within the lake and 38 dried-up fish ponds, which together covered an area of 103 km². The agricultural encroachments were mostly rice
paddies. Surprisingly no clear water could be found in the satellite image. The rest of the lake is being diminished by water diversions or was infested with weeds like elephant grass
and water hyacinth
.
Rich in flora and fauna, it attracts migratory birds from northern Asia and Eastern Europe between the months of October and March. During this season, the lake is visited by an estimated 20,00,000 birds. The resident birds include Grey pelicans, Asian Open-billed Storks (Anastomus oscitans), Painted Stork
s (Mycteria leucocephala), Glossy Ibis
es, White Ibis
es, Teal
s, Pintail
s, Shovellers. The migratory birds include Red-Crested Pochards, Blackwinged Stilts, Avocets, Common Red shanks, Wigeons, Gadwalls and Cormorants, Garganys, Herons, Flamingos & among others. See the Pictures of Birds at Lake Kolleru at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Birds_of_Kolleru_Lake_Bird_Sanctuary.
Kolleru lake contains numerous fertile islets called lanka's,many of the small ones are submerged during floods. The origin of unusual depression which forms the bed of the lake is unknown, but it was possibly the results of an earthquake. Therefore many ancient villages are precepted in the bed of the lake as a result of floods and earthquake.
Raju) an Ganga Vanshi
Orissa king, (Oddiya/Oriya
raju) . According to legend, the Gajapathi
fort was located at Kolleti Kota on one of the eastern islands of the lake. The enemy general "muhammadan" (probably a bahamany general encamped at "Chiguru kota" located on the shores. In some ways, the lake protected the Oriya
forces. The enemy finally try to excavated a channel, the modern-day Upputeru, so that the water of the lake would empty into the sea and the level would fall so that they could attack the Gajapathi
fort. The royal Oriya
army general sacrificed his own daughter to propitiate Gods and ensure his success against Muhammadan and her name was "Perantala Kanama". Therefore the channel was called Perantala Kanama.Sri Peddinti Ammavari Temple is one of the oldest and famous temples found in kolleru.The Suryavanshi Gajapatis of Orissa
, on the height of their power in the 15th century, ruled over a kingdom extending from the Ganges river in the north to the Kaveri in the south under Gajapati Kapilendra Deva. But by the early 16th century, the Gajapatis lost great portions of their southern dominion to Vijayanagar
and Golconda
.The Gajapatis were a medieval Hindu Suryavamsi
dynasty of Kalinga- Utkal Orissa
who ruled large parts of Andhra Pradesh,West Bengal, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. During the glorious reign of Kapilendra deva, the first Suryavamsi
Gajapati emperor,the boundary of the Kalinga empire(Ancient Orissa
) stretched from river Ganges in North to Kaveri in South and from Amarkantak
in West to Bay of Bengal
(Kalinga Sagara) in east.
_at_nest_at_atapaka_in_kolleru_w_img_3738.jpg)
The sanctuary has the following watch towers for sighting the birds.
Atapaka: 1.5 km from Kaikaluru to see varieties of waterfowl.
Murthyraju tank 8 km from Nidamarru
East Chodavaram: 53 km from Eluru where Open Bill Storks nest in colonies from July – December.
The sanctuary is approachable from all four sides of the lake by road, directly to the following places.
Atapaka – 2.5 km from Kaikaluru town,
Bhujabalapatnam - 6 km from Kaikaluru town,
Murthiraju Tanks – 8 km from Nidamarru,
Gudivakalanka – 3 km from Gudivakalanka or 15 km from Eluru
Nearest city is Vijayawada, which is 65 km by road or rail. Nearest town is Eluru
Best season to visit: November to March.
Accommodation:
Hotels in Eluru, Kaikaluru,Akividu, Bhimavaram and Vijayawada.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
located in Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
state, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Kolleru is located between Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
and Godavari delta. Kolleru spans into two districts - Krishna and West Godavari. The lake serves as a natural flood-balancing reservoir for these two rivers. The lake is fed directly by water from the seasonal Budameru and Tammileru streams, and is connected to the Krishna and Godavari systems by over 68 inflowing drains and channels.
The lake was an important habitat for an estimated 20 million resident and migratory bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s, including the Grey or Spot-billed Pelican
Spot-billed Pelican
The Spot-billed Pelican or Grey Pelican is a member of the pelican family. It breeds in southern Asia from southern Pakistan across India east to Indonesia. It is a bird of large inland and coastal waters, especially large lakes...
(Pelecanus philippensis). The lake was notified as a wildlife sanctuary in November 1999 under India's Wildlife Protection Act of 1972
Wildlife Protection Act of 1972
The Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 refers to a sweeping package of legislation enacted in 1972 by the Government of India. Before 1972, India only had five designated national parks...
, and designated a wetland of international importance
Ramsar list of wetlands of international importance
This is the list of wetlands of international importance as defined by the Ramsar Convention for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural, scientific, and recreational value.The Convention...
in November 2002 under the international Ramsar Convention
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
. The wildlife sanctuary covers an area of 308 km².
Current State of the lake
Kolleru lake is suffering from the unsatisfied greed of people and selfish interests of mankind who is exploiting the lake’s integrity. Thousands of fish tanks were dug up effectively converting the lake into a mere drain. This had a lot of impact in terms of pollution leading to even difficulty in getting drinking water for the local people. This is besides the loss of ecological diversity and intrusion of sea water into the land masses and its fallout in terms of adverse influence of rainfall pattern in this region. This imbalance has an adverse effect on the thousands of acres of crop in the upper reaches of sanctuary in view of stoppages of water flow into the sea because of obstruction by bunds of the fish tanks that appeared illegally.Satellite images taken on February 9, 2001 by the Indian remote sensing satellite found that approximately 42% of the 245 km² lake was occupied by aquaculture
Aquaculture
Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...
, while agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
had encroached another 8.5%. The area under aquaculture consisted of 1050 fish ponds within the lake and 38 dried-up fish ponds, which together covered an area of 103 km². The agricultural encroachments were mostly rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
paddies. Surprisingly no clear water could be found in the satellite image. The rest of the lake is being diminished by water diversions or was infested with weeds like elephant grass
Elephant Grass
Pennisetum purpureum is a species of grass native to the tropical grasslands of Africa. It is a tall perennial plant, growing to tall, rarely up to , with leaves long and broad....
and water hyacinth
Water hyacinth
The seven species of water hyacinth comprise the genus Eichhornia. Water hyacinth are a free-floating perennial aquatic plant native to tropical and sub-tropical South America. With broad, thick, glossy, ovate leaves, water hyacinth may rise above the surface of the water as much as 1 meter in...
.
Painted Stork
The Painted Stork is a large wading bird in the stork family. It is found in the wetlands of the plains of tropical Asia south of the Himalayas in South Asia and extending into Southeast Asia. Their distinctive pink tertial feathers give them their name. They forage in flocks in shallow waters...
s (Mycteria leucocephala), Glossy Ibis
Glossy Ibis
The Glossy Ibis is a wading bird in the ibis family Threskiornithidae.This is the most widespread ibis species, breeding in scattered sites in warm regions of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Atlantic and Caribbean region of the Americas...
es, White Ibis
Black-headed Ibis
The Black-headed Ibis or Oriental White Ibis is a species of wading bird of the ibis family Threskiornithidae which breeds in South Asia and Southeast Asia from Pakistan to India, Sri Lanka east up to Japan...
es, Teal
Teal
Teal may mean:* Teal , a medium greenish-blue color* Various ducks:** Baikal Teal, Anas formosa** Black Teal, Aythya novaeseelandiae** Blue-winged Teal, Anas discors** Brown Teal, Anas aucklandica** Campbell Teal Anas nesiotis...
s, Pintail
Northern Pintail
The Pintail or Northern Pintail is a widely occurring duck which breeds in the northern areas of Europe, Asia and North America. It is strongly migratory and winters south of its breeding range to the equator...
s, Shovellers. The migratory birds include Red-Crested Pochards, Blackwinged Stilts, Avocets, Common Red shanks, Wigeons, Gadwalls and Cormorants, Garganys, Herons, Flamingos & among others. See the Pictures of Birds at Lake Kolleru at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Birds_of_Kolleru_Lake_Bird_Sanctuary.
Kolleru lake contains numerous fertile islets called lanka's,many of the small ones are submerged during floods. The origin of unusual depression which forms the bed of the lake is unknown, but it was possibly the results of an earthquake. Therefore many ancient villages are precepted in the bed of the lake as a result of floods and earthquake.
History
Two copper plates of the early Pallava dynasty have been found in the lake, traces its history to Langula Narasimha Deva(Langulya GajapathiGajapati Kingdom
The Gajapatis were a medieval Hindu dynasty that ruled over Kalinga , large parts of Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, and the eastern and central parts of Madhya Pradesh and the southern parts of Bihar from 1434-1541. Gajapati dynasty was established by Kapilendra Deva in 1434...
Raju) an Ganga Vanshi
Saraikela
Saraikela, also spelled Seraikella, is the administrative headquarters of Saraikela Kharsawan District of Jharkhand. Earlier it was a municipality in Pashchimi Singhbhum districtin the Indian state of Jharkhand....
Orissa king, (Oddiya/Oriya
Oriya people
The Oriya, known classically by various names , are an ethnic group of eastern India and of eastern Indo-Aryan stock...
raju) . According to legend, the Gajapathi
Gajapati Kingdom
The Gajapatis were a medieval Hindu dynasty that ruled over Kalinga , large parts of Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, and the eastern and central parts of Madhya Pradesh and the southern parts of Bihar from 1434-1541. Gajapati dynasty was established by Kapilendra Deva in 1434...
fort was located at Kolleti Kota on one of the eastern islands of the lake. The enemy general "muhammadan" (probably a bahamany general encamped at "Chiguru kota" located on the shores. In some ways, the lake protected the Oriya
Oriya people
The Oriya, known classically by various names , are an ethnic group of eastern India and of eastern Indo-Aryan stock...
forces. The enemy finally try to excavated a channel, the modern-day Upputeru, so that the water of the lake would empty into the sea and the level would fall so that they could attack the Gajapathi
Gajapati Kingdom
The Gajapatis were a medieval Hindu dynasty that ruled over Kalinga , large parts of Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, and the eastern and central parts of Madhya Pradesh and the southern parts of Bihar from 1434-1541. Gajapati dynasty was established by Kapilendra Deva in 1434...
fort. The royal Oriya
Oriya people
The Oriya, known classically by various names , are an ethnic group of eastern India and of eastern Indo-Aryan stock...
army general sacrificed his own daughter to propitiate Gods and ensure his success against Muhammadan and her name was "Perantala Kanama". Therefore the channel was called Perantala Kanama.Sri Peddinti Ammavari Temple is one of the oldest and famous temples found in kolleru.The Suryavanshi Gajapatis of Orissa
Oriya people
The Oriya, known classically by various names , are an ethnic group of eastern India and of eastern Indo-Aryan stock...
, on the height of their power in the 15th century, ruled over a kingdom extending from the Ganges river in the north to the Kaveri in the south under Gajapati Kapilendra Deva. But by the early 16th century, the Gajapatis lost great portions of their southern dominion to Vijayanagar
Krishnadevaraya
Śrī Kriṣhṇa Devarāya , , , and also known as Krishna Devarayulu in some inscriptions was the famed Emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire who reigned from 1509–1529 CE.He is the third ruler of the Tuluva Dynasty. Presiding over the empire at its zenith, he is regarded as an icon by many Indians...
and Golconda
Golkonda
Golkonda or Golla konda a ruined city of south-central India and capital of ancient Kingdom of Golkonda , is situated 11 km west of Hyderabad.The most important builder of Golkonda was a Hindu Kakatiya King...
.The Gajapatis were a medieval Hindu Suryavamsi
Suryavansha
The Sooryavamsham or Suryavansh or Suryavamsa or Sun Dynasty or Solar Dynasty was one of the most prominent dynasties in the mythical history of India, along with the "Chandra-vaṃśa" or Lunar Dynasty.-Introduction:...
dynasty of Kalinga- Utkal Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
who ruled large parts of Andhra Pradesh,West Bengal, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. During the glorious reign of Kapilendra deva, the first Suryavamsi
Suryavansha
The Sooryavamsham or Suryavansh or Suryavamsa or Sun Dynasty or Solar Dynasty was one of the most prominent dynasties in the mythical history of India, along with the "Chandra-vaṃśa" or Lunar Dynasty.-Introduction:...
Gajapati emperor,the boundary of the Kalinga empire(Ancient Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
) stretched from river Ganges in North to Kaveri in South and from Amarkantak
Amarkantak
Amarkantak is a pilgrim town and a nagar panchayat in Anuppur District in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. Also called "Teerthraj" , Amarkantak region is a unique natural heritage area and is the meeting point of the Vindhyas and the Satpuras, with the Maikal Hills being the fulcrum...
in West to Bay of Bengal
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal , the largest bay in the world, forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in shape, and is bordered mostly by the Eastern Coast of India, southern coast of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to the west and Burma and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the...
(Kalinga Sagara) in east.
Sanctuary
Atapaka: 1.5 km from Kaikaluru to see varieties of waterfowl.
Murthyraju tank 8 km from Nidamarru
East Chodavaram: 53 km from Eluru where Open Bill Storks nest in colonies from July – December.
The sanctuary is approachable from all four sides of the lake by road, directly to the following places.
Atapaka – 2.5 km from Kaikaluru town,
Bhujabalapatnam - 6 km from Kaikaluru town,
Murthiraju Tanks – 8 km from Nidamarru,
Gudivakalanka – 3 km from Gudivakalanka or 15 km from Eluru
Nearest city is Vijayawada, which is 65 km by road or rail. Nearest town is Eluru
Best season to visit: November to March.
Accommodation:
Hotels in Eluru, Kaikaluru,Akividu, Bhimavaram and Vijayawada.
External links
- Pictures of Birds at Lake Kolleru.
- http://www.wwfindia.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/freshwater_wetlands/our_work/ramsar_sites/kolleru_lake_.cfm
- http://www.aptourism.com/apservlets/jsp/iplaces3.jsp?&THEME=Wild+Life&LOCATION=Kolleru&DISTRICT=West+Godavari&infoId=217
- http://www.hindu.com/yw/2006/05/26/stories/2006052602680600.htm