Q. Vembanad Lake had been declared one of the most polluted water bodies in the world. Consider the following statements about this lake:
- It is the longest lake in India.
- It is a Ramsar site.
- It has India’s largest mud based salt water barrier to separate the freshwater from the brackish water.
Which of the above statements are correct?
Select the correct option from the codes given below:
Answer:
All of the above
Notes: Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct:
Vembanad Lake is located in Kerala. It is India’s longest lake (about 96 km long) and Kerala’s largest freshwater body. It receives water from rivers like the Pamba and Periyar. Its wetland system is the largest in India. It is facing pollution mainly due to plastic bottles form the houseboats plying in the area. Annually, fishermen conduct drives to remove these debris.
Statement 2 is correct:
The lake is a Ramsar site. This means that its wetland is included in the Wetlands of International Importance list given by the Ramsar convention in 2002. It is also called Convention on Wetlands and seeks to improve conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. It is en route the Central Asian Flyway route of migratory birds. It has over 20,000 water birds (India’s 3
rd largest). The Kumarakom bird sanctuary is situated adjacent to it.
Statement 3 is correct:
A unique feature of the lake is the Thanneermukkom salt water barrier- which is made of mud and is the largest of its kind in India. The lake is separated from the Laccadive Sea only by a narrow barrier island. Hence to keep the freshwater from mixing with the brackish water, Kuttanad development scheme brought in a mud regulator to separate the lake into 2 components- one with fresh water while the other has brackish water mixed in during tidal action.