06-bioresourcesstatu.. - M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation

culture" of fish/shrimp that not onl~'promoted the
entry of non-fishermen but also marginalised the
traditional fishermen who have been living solely
on the fishery resources from Chilka (Samal,
2002).
Effort should therefore be made to enhance
sustainable dependence of the common men on the
bioresources of Chilika without jeopardizing its
ecology so that the overall socio-economic
conditions of the people depending on Chilika
could be improved significantly. It is to be seen
whether 'blue revolution' and ecorestoration can
work at the same time in context of Chilika?
The historic intervention by opening of the second
mouth opposite to village Sipakuda, 7.26 km away
from Satapada in September, 2000, seems to yield
the intended results (A new lease of life: Chilika,
a brochure released by the CDA). The dramatic
increase in fish, prawn and crab catch since year
2000-01(Table 7), no doubt, lends credence to this.
Over this period the hydrology of Chilika,
particularly the salinity gradient across the
lagoon, is also undergoing significant change, the
impact of which on the bioresource profile in the
long run, however, needs further research and
assessment. Reports on the decline of birds at the
Nalabana Bird Sanctuary and their congregation
at the northern region of the lagoon during the
current winter perhaps is a pointer to the
undesirable side effect of the unprecedented but
sudden interference into the ecosystem of the
Chilika lagoon.
One would still observe relatively more poverty
and unemployment among the common people
living in the water locked regions, mostly
belonging to Krishnaprasad Block of Puri district,
located inside Chilika lagoon, where people live
mostly on agriculture and fishery. Rice cultivation
in the low lying agricultural fields in the region
has been a problem, for excess rain or more influx
of water into Chilika causes flood in the rice fields
and spoils the crop, and so there has been a
tendency among people to use the low-lying
agriculture fields for aquaculture.
The benefit from fishery resource is, however,
being not shared equitably among the local people
of Chilika. There is too much interference of nonfishermen
from out side in fishery and related
business, which has been the major cause of
discontent and resentment among the local
people. The benefits derived from the resources of
Chilika are flowing out bypassing its local people.
Chilika Lake
This has been the bone of contention of the region
for the past decade.
i. Scope lor improvement
Efforts are being made by the State government to
develop road net work connecting the water
locked villages of the Krushnaprasad Block inside
the Chilika lagoon with Malud and Palur on the
south and Nuapada and Janhikuda towards the
north. The newly constructed roads are being
subjected to erosion due to rain or excess of
backwater in Chilika. Maintenance of roads has
been a problem, which can be better protected by
undertaking appropriate avenue plantation on the
roadsides. The soil in the region being saline plant
species of Pandanus and Casuarina could be
ideal for the purpose. Apart from protecting the
roads from soil erosion Pandanus fascicularis has
the potential to support the local community
economically. The business of flower (male
inflorescence of P. fascicularis) during the
seasons, which is presently confined only to village
Malud and its neighborhood has the potential to
spread the entire Krushnaprasad block of Chilika
region that calls for immediate and extensive
plantation of the species. For reasons unknown
unlike people of Ganjam coast, the people in the
Krushnaprasad block are so far are not able to
tap the resource of Pandanus commercially. The
large junk wetlands adjoining Chilika lying barren
has the potential for use in aquaculture. One has
to see for alternative resources for aquaculture
such as economically useful weeds (algae). This
again calls for the utilization of the available
expertise from the scientists of Central Salt and
Marine Research Institution, Bhav Nagar, Gujarat
and Mandapam, Tamil Nadu. Besides planning
and management of ecology and resources of
Chilika the need of the hour is to emphasize on
basic research relating to all aspects of Chilika
lagoon, which is some what lacking at this
moment. This is evident from the updated
bibliography (CDA 2001). The input of basic
. research, quality and quantity, on the fauna, flora
and fishery of Chilika in terms of publications in
peer reviewed journals pioneered by Dr. N.
Annandale and his associates in 1920s
(Annandale, 1915, 1917, 1920, 1924, Sewell and
Annandle, 1922) that continued through 1950s and
1960s (Jones and Sujansinghani, 1951; Rajan,
1964, 1968) till 1970s (Natarajan and Patnaik,
1971; Patnaik, 1973 a, b; Kowtal; 1976, 1978;
Mohanty, 1976) is glaringly missing in the present
days. Renewed impetus on basic research and
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