Vembanad Lake
Map: India
Current relevance:
Kumarakom, on the banks of Vembanad Lake,
is turning to robotic technology to control the severe spread of water
hyacinth, an invasive aquatic weed.
Important Places:
i.
Kumarakom: Backwater village
in Kottayam district, situated on Vembanad Lake. Kerala Tourism
describes it as a cluster of small islands within the Kuttanad region.
ii.
Vembanad Lake: Kerala's major
backwater lake and part of the internationally important Vembanad-Kol
Wetland.
iii.
Kottayam: Important
district and urban centre east of Vembanad Lake.
iv.
Alappuzha: Major
backwater and tourism centre along the southern Vembanad system.
v.
Kuttanad: Low-lying
agricultural region closely connected with the Vembanad wetland system.
vi.
Muhamma: Located on the
western side of the lake, opposite the Kumarakom region; the Muhamma–Kumarakom
water-transport route is affected by water-hyacinth infestation.
Important Rivers:
The Meenachil, Pamba, Manimala and
Achankovil rivers drain into Vembanad Lake, which ultimately
connects to the Arabian Sea.
Significance:
i.
Ramsar Site: The Vembanad-Kol
Wetland is a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention.
ii.
Biodiversity: The wetland
supports rich fish, plant and bird diversity and is particularly important for migratory
waterbirds along the Central Asian Flyway.
iii.
Livelihoods: The Vembanad-Kol
system supports communities through fisheries, inland navigation, tourism,
agriculture and wetland resources.
iv.
Flood regulation: The wetland plays
an important hydrological role, including flood regulation and supporting
agriculture in the Kuttanad region.
v.
Tourism: Kumarakom is one
of Kerala's major backwater destinations, known for houseboats, boating,
fishing and Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary.
Source: THE HINDU