Daily Current Affairs for 28th December 2019

Winged visitors flock to Pulicat, with birdwatchers in tow

Paper:  GS III

Topic: Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment.

For Prelims: Flamingo festival, Pulicat lake, its geographical presence and IUCN status.

For Mains: Need for conservation of endangered species, government policy to save the environment.

Why in News: The annual flamingo festival in Nellore district is round the corner with the winged visitors arriving in large numbers on their annual sojourn

About Pulicat Lake

• Pulicat Lagoon is the second largest brackish waterlagoon in India, after Chilika Lake.
• Pulicat Lagoon is considered to be the second-largest brackish water body in India measuring 759 square kilometres (293 sq mi).
• The Lagoon is one of the three important wetlands to attract North-East Monsoon rain clouds during October to December season to Tamil Nadu.
• The lagoon comprises the following regions, which adds up 759 square kilometres (293 sq mi) according to Andhra Pradesh Forest Department:

1) Pulicat Lake (Tamil Nadu-TN & Andhra Pradesh-AP)

2) Marshy/Wetland Land Region (AP)

3) Venadu Reserve Forest (AP)

4) Pernadu Reserve Forest (AP)

• The lagoon was cut across in the middle by the Sriharikota Link Road, which divided the water body into lake and marshy land.
• The lake encompasses the Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary.
• The barrier islandof Sriharikota separates the lake from the Bay of Bengal and is home to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
• Major part of the lake comes under Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh.

Geography and topography:

• Two rivers which feed the lagoon are the Arani Riverat the southern tip and the Kalangi River from the northwest, in addition to some smaller streams.
• The Buckingham Canal, a navigation channel, is part of the lagoon on its western side.
• The lagoon’s water exchange with the Bay of Bengal is through an inlet channel at the north end of Sriharikota and outflow channel of about 200 metres (660 ft) width at its southern end, both of which carry flows only during the rainy season.
• The lake acts as a buffer to retain the accumulated floodwater until the floodwater is discharged gradually to the sea during the monsoon period and cyclones.
• The lake and its river basins are located both in Andhra Pradeshand Tamil Nadu
• The lake and its drainage river basins become interstate river basin as per Interstate River Water Disputes Act
• Most of the lake area including its water outlet to the sea is located in Andhra Pradesh.

Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh- District authorities plan to conduct annual flamingo festival in first week of January

• Expect more visitors: District authorities, who are planning to conduct the festival in the first week of January, say they expect the number of birds to be much higher than usual thanks to copious rains this year. Birds like Black-tailed godwit and Kentish plover, which are rare visitors, have also arrived at the lake this time.
• Many Varieties: A variety of aquatic and terrestrial birds, including painted storks, large and little egrets, grey pelicans, grey herons, and water birds like northern pintails, black-winged stilts, northern shovellers, common teal, seagulls, terns, sandpipers, and common coots have come in large numbers this time. The lake supports a rich biodiversity and high biomass of fishes, prawns, crustaceans, coelenterates and planktons.
• About 75 bird species visit the sanctuary, of which 30 bird species are migratory. The other feeding migrants that can be spotted are pelicans, painted storks, open-billed storks, grey herons, cormorants, white ibises, spoonbills, egrets, reef herons, and spot-billed ducks
• Four venues — Sullurpeta, B.V. Palem, Atakanithippa and Nelapattu — have been selected for holding various cultural programmes and stepping up awareness on the brackish water ecosystem during the festival as the winged visitors make merry in the 600 sq km area.
• The department has arranged for binoculars for nature lovers to view the birds. Educative films on snakes and birds will also be screened as part of the festival.
• The rich flora at the lake makes it a botanist’s delight. Invertebrates like prawns, planktons, coelenterates, annelids, molluscs and echinoderms thrive here, as do reptiles like monitor lizard, calotes, cobra, Russel’s viper, and krait, and schools of fish like sable fish, white, black and silver pomfret.

Prelims Question

Consider the following Statements:

• This lagoon is fed by two rivers one Arani Riverat the southern tip and the Kalangi River from the northwest.
• This Lagoon is one of the three important wetlands to attract North-East Monsoon rain clouds from October to December.
• The Buckingham Canal, a navigation channel, is part of the lagoon on its western side

Identify about which lake the information is given:

1. Pulicat Lake
2. Chilka Lake
3. Sambhar Lake
4. Wular Lake

Answer: A

Explanation: All information is given about Pulicat Lake.

• Pulicat Lagoon is the second largest brackish waterlagoon in India, after Chilika Lake.
• Pulicat Lagoon is considered to be the second-largest brackish water body in India measuring 759 square kilometres (293 sq mi).
• The Lagoon is one of the three important wetlands to attract North-East Monsoon rain clouds during October to December season to Tamil Nadu.
• Two rivers which feed the lagoon are the Arani Riverat the southern tip and the Kalangi River from the northwest, in addition to some smaller streams.