Kaliveli Wetlands- Key Facts

Kaliveli Lake with wetlands is located in the Viluppuram district of Tamil Nadu. Kaliveli has been in news because of the efforts of the state government to Kaliveli wetlands as a bird sanctuary.

Key Points

• The Villupuram district administration has released the first declaration under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 with an aim to declare Kaliveli wetlands a bird sanctuary.
• Kaliveli is the second-largest brackish water lake in South India after Pulicat Lake.
• This declaration has been issued under Section 18 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 by the District Administration.
• The proposal has been sent to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF). After clearance, the department will issue the final notification.
• This decision will enhance the conservation activities in the wetland.
• As per a 2004 assessment of BirdLife International and the Indian Bird Conservation Network, Kaliveli Lake supports more than 20,000 birds each year.
• The wetland is a feeding ground for long-distance migrant birds from the cold subarctic regions of Siberia and Central Asia.
• Migratory birds coming to the lake are Eurasian Curlew, Black-tailed Godwits, Ruff, White Stork, and Dublin.

Challenges

Proper steps should be taken to eliminate the negative impacts of the creation of a check dam downstream. Other than this, proper steps are needed for maintaining the natural biosphere and biodiversity of the area intact.