Will The Queen Vanish?

D N Singh In the past there has been a lot of debate as to whether Orissa’s nature Queen, the Chilika lake, would survive natural and man-made ravages, but the issue has acquired added urgency now, with the publication of a report which simply cannot be dismissed. Dangers have been looming large over this unique lagoon since 1914-15 but, now the symptoms are too obvious and the predictions, although nightmarish, not far removed from the truth. Only a few days back nature gave a shock to the fragile lake system when the sea broke into the sand barrier with unprecedented ferocity and cut open a mouth measuring about 50 metres. Within three-four days the width of the mouth, helped by tidal winds, increased to 500 metres. The landslide still continues, but that`s is only half the story. According to the experts in the field, ` the day is not far when the lake would be completely engulfed by the sea `. About 10 to 11 thousand years back when the lagoon was formed, it was linked to the Bay of Bengal by a natural mouth, through a 35 km long channel called Magarmukh. The Magarmukh later started chocking due to heavy siltation from the two adjoining rivers and from the unprotected catchment areas. The result was fatal. The lagoon started losing the salinity required to maintain the estuarine character of the water, as the inflow of sea water was nearly stopped due to the chocking. This prompted the Chilika Development Authority (CDA) to open a new (artificial) mouth from the sea with ` suicidal haste. ` They claimed that it was done in consultation with NIO Goa; for which a model study was conducted there. This happened about 5 years back. But subsequent changes in the behaviour of the lake and sea indicated that, it was only a superficial treatment not conducive for a lagoonal system that thrives on a very sensitive eco-balance. ` Model study is never a dependable means to suggest any surgical action on this lagoon, ` observed wildlife activist Biswajit Mohanty. The width of the new mouth within days started widening at an alarming pace and has now has become more than 600 meters. The purpose seemed defeated. The inflow of sea water became more and the water of the lagoon started suffering from excessive salinity; resulting in the disappearance of a lot of flora and fauna (used to estuarine or brakish water ). The changes followed each other at such a pace that the CDA authorities were at their wits end. " This is a lagoonal system which should be left to its own condition, and at best we can stop the load of silt driven in from the two rivers. Any kind of tampering with such a sensitive balance might prove counterproductive " rued an eminent marine expert few years back while talking to this scribe. There was a natural mouth already; then the CDA had cut open one which not only keeps widening but has started changing its shape, which keeps many villages on tenterhooks. The sudden opening of a new mouth by the sea itself ; close to the artificial mouth, has delivered the final blow. The dynamics of the sea has sent the signals of a worse time ahead. Chilika lake is not only known for its beguiling beauty and migratory birds, but also because it is the lifeline for lakhs of fishermen and a potential revenue earner for the state. The only barrier that remains between the sea & the lake is a 60 km long sand bund which now appears too vulnerable. Chilika lake is torn between human neglect and the vagaries of nature. It is no secret that any lagoonal system is ephemeral and it has to die one day. But what is apparent in this case is that we have indulged in acts to expedite the malady .This has prompted the internationally known Geo-scientist Prof. Manoranjan Mohanty to predict that the day is not far when the sea will engulf the lake. An ardent nature lover by instinct, Prof. Mohanty has been closely studying the behavioral pattern of the lake for the last few years. If the ferocity of the sea during that time period is any indication, then the nature queen is in danger.