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Chilika Lake
| Site Name | Chilika Lake |
|---|---|
| State | Odisha |
| Ramsar Site Number | 229 |
| Ramsar Designation Date | 01 Oct 1981 |
| Area | 116500 hectares |
| Latitude | 19.7 |
| Longitude | 85.35 |
| Categories | Marine or coastal wetland Coastal freshwater lagoon |
| Elevation min / max | 0 / 0 |
| Listed in Montreux Record? | No |
| Spans over more than one country? | No |
| Details | |
| Brackish lake separated from the Bay of Bengal by a long sandy ridge and subject to sea water exchange, resulting in extreme seasonal fluctuations in salinity in different sections of the lake. Saline areas support aquatic algae. The site is an important area for breeding, wintering and staging for 33 species of waterbirds. It also supports 118 species of fish, including commercially important species. Significant numbers of people are dependent upon the lake's resources. Placed on the Montreux Record in 1993 due to problems caused by siltation and sedimentation which was choking the mouth of the lake; removed from the Record in 2002 following rehabilitation efforts for which the Chilika Development Authority received the Ramsar Wetland Conservation Award for 2002. | |
| Threats | |
| Natural system modifications, Unspecified/others | |
