Vembanad Lake | 09 May 2025

Source: TH 

Vembanad Lake, India's longest lake, is facing severe degradation from encroachment, pollution, and invasive species, leading to a 66% decline in fish catch and reduced flood control capacity.

Vembanad Lake:

• Vembanad Lake, largest in Kerala also known as Vembanad Kayal, and Kochi Lake (in Kochi), spanning 96.5 km across Alappuzha, Kottayam, and Ernakulam. 
• It has been a Ramsar wetland  (second-largest Ramsar site after Sundarbans) since 2002 and is part of the National Wetlands Conservation Programme. 
• It is fed by 4 rivers-Meenachil, Achankovil, Pampa, and Manimala, and separated from the Arabian Sea by a narrow barrier island.  
• It hosts the annual Vallam Kali (Nehru Trophy Boat Race) in August. 
• The Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary lies on its eastern shore.  
• In 2019, Kochi's Willingdon Island was formed from the lake.  
• The 1,252 m-long Thanneermukkom Saltwater Barrage, India’s largest mud regulator, has been operational since 1976, divides Vembanad Lake into freshwater and brackish water sections.