AKASH RANJAN RATH
Chilika, famous for its rich natural heritage and beautiful ecosystem, is Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon, a Ramsar site, and one of the biodiversity hotspots in the country. It’s a unique habitat that supports 24 species of mammals, 221 species of birds, 61 species of reptiles, 30 species of decapoda, and 136 species of mollusca. Some critically endangered and endangered species such as Pallas’ fi sh eagle, spoon-billed sandpiper, bar-tailed godwit, Barkudia insularis, fi nless porpoise, Irrawaddy, bottlenose, humpback dolphins, fishing cats and many more are found here. Chilika is also home to over 700 species of plants including seven rare and 11 endemic ones. Almost 80-90 per cent of Irrawaddy dolphin population resides here because they prefer water less than 20m deep, abundant food supply, better water quality, isolation and to stay close to fresh water and sea mouth. It’s a diverse habitat of fresh and salt water, shoreline, rocky islands, salt marshes and spits, sandbars and rivers like Daya, Bhargavi, Ratnachira, Luna, Kusumi, Bada, Rushikulya meet the sea here.
The ecosystem provides livelihood to more than two lakh fishermen in various ways. Already climate change, habitat destruction, illegal prawn culture, pesticide contamination and poaching are going on for decades, causing serious damage to this fragile ecosystem. Any further pressure on it will affect the health of the lagoon and ultimately lead to its disappearance. The majority of residents of this region belong to vulnerable communities, primarily comprising poor fishermen who rely entirely on Chilika for their livelihood. Their dependence spans various activities including fishing, boating for transportation and tourism like bird and dolphin watching.
A large-scale project such as the proposed two-lane coastal highway (NH-516A) over Chilika, connecting Gopalpur and Satapada, in such a sensitive region will undoubtedly impact its ecological health. The construction of concrete structures, vehicular pollution (noise, artificial light, plastic waste) and 24*7 activities will introduce significant environmental stress. Additionally, activities such as drilling, risk of oil spill, smoke emissions could cause irreparable damage to Chilika’s fragile ecosystem over time. Like other cetaceans, Irrawaddy dolphins are highly sensitive to noise and artificial light.
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In Chilika lagoon, they are geographically isolated and are accustomed to this area. Habitat fragmentation and various forms of pollution are likely to have a significant impact on their behaviour, migration, communication, hunting and resting periods. Likewise, migratory and residential birds will experience stress, particularly at night during their feeding, resting and perching time. Same will happen with nocturnal mammals and other species. The potential consequences of such a project include a decline of diversity due to reduced bird activity, drop in fish population and possible endangerment of dolphins, which are vital to the lake’s biodiversity. This proposed project could severely impact the livelihood of residents.
Tourism could also partly impact as some visitors may opt to explore this Ramsar site on vehicle. Boating transport will be hugely affected, rendering thousands jobless. Just like the pollution in the areas surrounding the Mahanadi, Kathajodi, Daya and other bridges, the peripheral zones of this bridge too will become polluted with polythene, cigarette butts, alcohol and water bottles, wrappers and remnants from worship rituals.