Kolleru Lake

Kolleru Lake
A bridge over Kolleru
Location	Andhra Pradesh
Coordinates	16°39′N 81°13′E / 16.650°N 81.217°E / 16.650; 81.217Coordinates: 16°39′N 81°13′E / 16.650°N 81.217°E / 16.650; 81.217
Primary inflows	Ramileru, Tammileru, Budameru, Polaraj drain
Primary outflows	Upputeru
Basin countries	India
Surface area	90,100 hectares (222,600 acres)
Islands	Kolletikota(Heart of Kolleru Lake), Gudivakalanka
Settlements	Eluru
Ramsar Wetland
Designated	19 August 2002

Kolleru Lake is one of the largest freshwater lakes in India located in state of Andhra Pradesh 15 kilometers away from the city of Eluru. Kolleru is located between Krishna and Godavari deltas. Kolleru spans into two districts - Krishna and West Godavari. The lake is fed directly by water from the seasonal Budameru and Tammileru streams, and is connected to the Krishna and Godavari irrigation systems by over 67 major and minor irrigation canals. This lake is a major tourist attraction. Many birds migrate here in winter, such as Siberian crane, ibis, and painted storks. 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 declared as a wildlife sanctuary in November 1999 under India's Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, and designated a wetland of international importance in November 2002 under the international Ramsar Convention. The wildlife sanctuary covers an area of 308 km².

Kolleru Lake under Ramsar Convention (allowing local communities (Here: Vaddi Community) to continue their occupation of culture fish and caught fish) covers 90,100 hectares (222,600 acres) and Kolleru Lake under Wildlife Sanctuary covers 166,000 acres (67,200 ha)

Thousands of fish tanks were dug up effectively converting the lake into a mere drain. This had great impact in terms of pollution, leading to difficulty in getting drinking water for the local people. This is in addition to the loss of ecological diversity and intrusion of sea water into the land masses and its fallout in terms of adverse influence on the rainfall pattern in this region. This imbalance has an adverse effect on the thousands of acres of crop in the upper reaches of sanctuary in view of stoppages water flow into the sea because of obstruction by bunds of the fish tanks that appeared illegally.