Integrated coastal zone management of Chilika Lake

The Chilika Lake in Orissa is one of the largest wetlands in the world (1000 km2 area) habited by migratory birds and by a special type of dolphin. This lake is the livelihood for about 100,000 fishermen and also acts as drainage for Mahanadhi River Basin. The old mouth on the northern side of lake was not flushing properly, and hence, the tidal exchange was not sufficient to maintain the quality of brackish water.