The endangered Kolleru Lake at dusk.

Kolleru Lake is a large freshwater lake in India's Andhra Pradesh state. It is located between the deltas of the Krishna and Godavari rivers, in Krishna and West Godavari districts. The lake serves as a natural flood-balancing reservoir for the two rivers. The lake is fed directly by the seasonal Budameru and Tammileru rivers, and is connected to the Krishna and Godavari systems by over 68 inflowing drains and channels. The lake was an important habitat for an estimated 20 million resident and migratory birds, including the Grey or Spot-billed Pelican (Pelecanus philippensis). The lake was notified as a wildlife sanctuary in November 1999 under India's Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, and designated a wetland of international importance in November 2002 under the international Ramsar Convention. The wildlife sanctuary covers an area of 308 sq kms. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixel Image in higher resolution (3000 × 2000 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixel Image in higher resolution (3000 × 2000 pixel, file size: 1. ... Andhra Pradesh  : (Telugu: ఆంధ్ర ప్రదేశ్, Urdu: آندھرا پردیش, IPA: ), is a state in South India. ... The Krishna River is one of the longest rivers of India (about 1300 km in length). ... The Godavari River, adjacent to the town of Kovvur This article is about Godavari River in India. ... Map showing krishna district Krishna District is a district of Indias Andhra Pradesh state. ... Map showing West Godavari district West Godavari (పశ్చిమ గోదావరి) is a district in Andhra Pradesh in India. ... “Aves” redirects here. ... Binomial name Pelecanus philippensis Gmelin, 1789 The Spot-billed Pelican (Pelecanus philippensis) is a member of the pelican family. ... // Site listing by country These data have been taken from the Ramsar Sites Database. ... The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i. ...

However , the lake suffered from the unsatiated greed of the moneyed people and selfish interests of mankind exploited the lake’s integrity and thousands of fish tanks were dug up thus effectively converting the lake into a drain. This had impact in terms of pollution leading to even difficulty in getting drinking water for the local people, impact on livelihoods of poor people, increased incidence of diseases in this region.

This is beside the loss of ecological diversity and intrusion of sea water into the land mass and its fallout in terms of adverse influence of rainfall pattern in this region of the country.

Also adversely effected was the lakhs of acres of crop loss in the upper reaches of sanctuary in view of stoppages of water flow into the sea because of obstruction by bunds of these illegal fish tanks.

Satellite images taken on February 9, 2001 by the Indian remote sensing satellite IRS-1D and analysed by Dr. K Nageswara Rao from Andhra University found that approximately 42 per cent of the 245 km² lake was occupied by aquaculture, while agriculture had encroached on another 8.5 percent. The area under aquaculture consisted of 1050 fishponds within the lake and 38 dried-up fish ponds, which together covered an area of 103 km². The agricultural encroachments were mostly rice paddies. No clear water could be found in the satellite image. The rest of the lake was being diminished by water diversions or was infested with weeds like elephant grass and water hyacinth. February 9 is the 40th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Andhra University, located in Visakhapatnam, is one of the older premier universities in India with a broad focus. ... Workers harvest catfish from the Delta Pride Catfish farms in Mississippi Aquaculture is the cultivation of the natural produce of water (fish, shellfish, algae and other aquatic organisms). ... Species Oryza glaberrima Oryza sativa The planting of rice is often a labour-intensive process Terrace of rice paddies in Yunnan Province, southern China. ... Binomial name Pennisetum purpureum Schumach. ... Species Seven species, including: - Anchored Water Hyacinth E. crassipes - Common Water Hyacinth - Variableleaf Water Hyacinth - Brazilian Water Hyacinth The seven species of water hyacinths comprise the genus Eichhornia of free-floating perennial aquatic plants native to tropical South America. ...

By 2006, it was estimated that over 72% of the Sanctuary was encroached upon for unsustainable aquaculture. Despite a Judgment of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh in 2001, upholding the notification of the Kolleru Wildlife Sanctuary, the orders of the High Court were not implemented.

Rich in flora and fauna, it attracts migratory birds from northern Asia and Eastern Europe between the months of October and March. During this season, the lake is visited by an estimated 20,00,000 birds. The resident birds include include grey pelicans, Asian Open-billed Storks (Anastomus oscitans), Painted Storks (Mycteria leucocephala), Glossy Ibises, White Ibises, Teals, Pintails, Shovellers. The migratory birds include Red-Crested Pochards, Blackwinged Stilts, Avocets, Common Redshanks, Wigeons, Gadwalls and Cormorants, Garganys, Herons, Flamingos & among others. Binomial name Anastomus oscitans Boddaert, 1783 The Asian Openbill Stork, Anastomus oscitans, is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. ... Binomial name Mycteria leucocephala (Pennant, 1769) The Painted Stork, Mycteria leucocephala, is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. ... Binomial name Plegadis falcinellus (Linnaeus, 1766) The Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) is a wading bird in the ibis family Threskiornithidae. ... There are three species of bird named White Ibis. ... Tasman Empire Airways Limited (TEAL) was the forerunner of Air New Zealand. ... Binomial name Anas acuta Linnaeus, 1758 The Pintail or Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) is a common and widespread duck which breeds in the northern areas of Europe and Asia and across most of Canada, Alaska and the midwestern United States. ...

The sanctuary has the following watch towers for sighting the birds.

Atapaka: 1.5 km from Kaikaluru to see varieties of waterfowl. Murthyraju tank 8 km from Nidamarru East Chodavaram: 53 km from Eluru where Open Bill Storks nest in colonies from July – December.

The sanctuary is approachable from all four sides of the lake by road, directly to the following places.

Atapaka – 1.5 km from Kaikaluru town Murthiraju Tanks – 8 km from Nidamarru Gudivakalanka – 3 km from Gudivakalanka or 15 km from Eluru Nearest city is Vijayawada, which is 65 km by road or rail. Nearest town is Eluru

Best season to visit: November to March.

Accommodation: Hotels in Eluru,Kaikaluru and Vijayawada.

Coordinates: 16°39′N, 81°13′E Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

External links

• http://www.wwfindia.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/freshwater_wetlands/our_work/ramsar_sites/kolleru_lake_.cfm
• http://www.aptourism.com/apservlets/jsp/iplaces3.jsp?&THEME=Wild+Life&LOCATION=Kolleru&DISTRICT=West+Godavari&infoId=217