On the morning of May 29, 1999 over 5,000 fishermen began to demolish the gherries of the illegal prawn farms. Instead of helping them, the police sided with the big and small time prawn barons and shot three fishermen dead and injured several more. This despite the fact that a Supreme Court judgement had ordered the removal of all farms within 1,000 metres of the lake. Both the Chief Minister and Home Minister of Orissa had promised the villagers that the prawn farms would be demolished because they were all illegal as per a judgement of the Orissa High Court as far back as 1993. Further, the farms also violate the Coastal Regulation Zone rules.
The prawn industry damages the ecosystem in several ways:
1. The construction of artificial ponds requires mangroves, reed bed and farmland to be destroyed.
2. Processed feed and chemical additives pollute the sea and ground water.
3. The bamboo gherries trap and kill dolphins.
4. The prawn farm infrastructure around the shore of the lake, has usurped the breeding grounds of shrimp, crabs and fish, resulting in the fish catch falling by half.
To add to Chilika's woes, deforestation linked siltation is reducing the size of the lake by two sq. km. each year. The Daya and Bhargavi branches of the Mahanadi river and other similar sources now carry an estimated annual silt load of over 13 million tonnes. Obstructions caused by prawn farms prevent the silt from flowing out to sea. Industrial pollution is causing heavy metal and organochlorine build-up in the ecosystem. According to the Zoological Society of India, the number of fish species in the lake has fallen by 40 per cent since 1920.
Chilika lake in Orissa is the largest brackish water lake in Asia, measuring some 1,100 sq. km. during the monsoons, and receeding to 800 sq. km. in summer. The lake is home to over 160 varieties of fish and supports migratory birds in their millions. Sightings of the endangered Irrawaddy dolphins are regularly reported. Siberian avian species, flamingos from the Persian Gulf and pelicans, cormorants, ospreys, hawks and ducks from different parts of India also winter at the lake. Not surprisingly, a large traditional fishing community depends on the health and productivity of the lake for its livelihood.
All in all, Chilika is a paradise, a horn of Cornucopia for both humans and wildlife.
This is precisely why Chilika was designated a 'Wetland of International Importance' under the Ramsar Convention, in 1981. Since then, regrettably, politically well-connected people have been allowed to exploit the lake to the detriment of its ecology. As a result, Chilika has now been placed on Ramsar's 'Red List'.
Perhaps the most damaging impact has been that of the aquaculture industry, which also brought social unrest to the region. Quick money from the export of prawns created a veritable prawn mafia, comprising local toughs supported by well-known national and state politicians. The Tata Group of Companies had proposed to set up a large prawn facility at Chilika some years ago, but they bowed to public pressure and backed out, giving the campaign to save Chilika from aquaculture a major boost. The National Fishworkers' Forum (NFF), Chilika Bachao Andolan and several local groups had worked in concert to protect their lake at that time. But trouble has begun to brew again.
The campaign in Chilika is part of a wider campaign by the NFF and others against industrial aquaculture. They demand the withdrawal of the Aquaculture Authority Bill.
Those who would like to support the fishermen of Chilika in their fight for a cleaner environment should write a letter to endorse their support.
