Pulicat Lake’s Sea Mouth Opening Is Part of Centre’s Sagarmala Initiative
Officials and conservationists hope this long-overdue step will finally lead to the sustainable revival of one of south India’s most cherished and biologically rich water bodies.
Nellore: As per the revised estimates of the Andhra Pradesh Maritime Board (APMB), the total project cost of opening the sea mouth of Pulicat Lake is Rs 133.11 crore.
AP government has committed to funding 50 per cent of the cost, or Rs 64.40 crore. It requested the centre to share the remaining cost under the latter’s Sagarmala programme.
However, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has capped its contribution to Rs 50 crore, leaving a funding gap of Rs 18.71 crore.
To bridge this gap, AP is seeking the amount from the centre under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme.
Once funded, the project titled – Opening of Sea Mouth into Pulicat Lake at Rayadoruvu, Vakadu Mandal, Tirupati District – is expected to restore free flow between the Bay of Bengal and the lake on AP side, rejuvenate the lake's hydrology, and provide long-term ecological and economic benefits thousands of fishermen families across generations.
A senior Fisheries official said, “We will have a 400 square kilometres of brackish water body to support the livelihood of the 25,000 traditional fishermen living in the area. Further, the move will lead to sustainable marine environment, biodiversity, climate resilience, carbon remission and biomass increase.”
Officials and conservationists hope this long-overdue step will finally lead to the sustainable revival of one of south India’s most cherished and biologically rich water bodies.
