Inland fishers on warpath demanding package for eco-restoration of ‘debilitated’ Vembanad Lake

Inland fishers and clam collectors who depend on Vembanad Lake, a designated Ramsar site, are now struggling to earn a living from it as Thanneermukkom saltwater barrage, reclamation, pollution, siltation, proliferation of invasive aquatic weed and so on have taken a toll on the waterbody.

Inland fishers and clam collectors who depend on Vembanad Lake, a designated Ramsar site, are now struggling to earn a living from it as Thanneermukkom saltwater barrage, reclamation, pollution, siltation, proliferation of invasive aquatic weed and so on have taken a toll on the waterbody.

Members of the fishing community under the aegis of Samyuktha Vembanad Kayal Samarakshana Samithi (SVKSS) will organise a protest in front of Kuttanad Divisional Engineer office at Thanneermukkom demanding a special package for the eco-restoration of the lake among other things on Monday.

K.M. Poovu, secretary, SVKSS, says the lake ecosystem is facing rapid degradation.

“The commissioning of Thanneermukkom saltwater barrage in 1975 sounded the death knell for the inland fisheries sector in the region. “Before the barrage came into existence, the average annual fish catch from the lake stood at 16,000 tonnes. It dwindled to 7,000 tonnes the very next year. Compared to 1975, fish wealth in the lake has now decreased by around 90%. Freshwater prawns (aattu konju) have almost vanished from the waterbody due to the barrage and pesticide use by paddy farmers in the Kuttanad region,” says Mr. Poovu.

The bund across the lake was constructed to prevent the intrusion of brackish water into Kuttanad as an increase in salinity would be detrimental to paddy cultivation there. Citing various studies, SVKSS noted that the lake had shrunk to 12,500 hectares (ha) from 36,500 ha. more than a century ago owing to widespread reclamation and encroachments.

They also cited a study published in 2023 by the Centre for Aquatic Resource Management and Conservation, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, which revealed a highly degraded, dysfunctional, and debilitated Vembanad wetland system. The report noted that the poor state of the lake is affecting the lives and livelihood of around eight million people in Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, and Ernakulam districts. It noted that the water retention capacity of the waterbody has been reduced by 85.3%. From 2,617.5 million cubic metres in 1990, the capacity reduced to 384.66 million cubic metres in 2020.

“Reclamation of the lake, construction of Thanneermukkom barrage and use of chemical pesticides as part of the green revolution helped expand paddy cultivation. But at the same time, it destroyed the livelihood of fishers living on the banks of Vembanad Lake. The government further implemented ₹1,840 crore package for farmers of Kuttanad. All the while, fishers, the victims of the paddy expansion programme and industrial development, have been left in the lurch,” says Mr. Poovu.