Record Details

The shrinking backwaters of Kerala

DRS at CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography

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Field Value
 
Title The shrinking backwaters of Kerala
 
Creator Gopalan, U.K.
Vengayil, D.T.
Varma, P.U.
Kutty, M.K.
 
Subject Aquatic Ecology, Productivity
resources
environmental impact
anthropogenic factors
estuaries
water reclamation
backwaters
ISW, India, Kerala
 
Description The most serious anthropogenic environmental alteration taken place in the estuaries of Kerala, India in the living memory, is it's alarming rate of reduction in extent. Vembanad Kayal, the largest backwaters system on the west coast of India, had an area of 36,500 ha in the last century. It has undergone man-made shrinkage at an alarming rate. As a result, only about 35% of its area remains as open brackishwaters at present. This shows that only about 17% of Vembanad system will be left as open brackishwaters by the dawn of 21st century, provided it is not further encroached for other purposes. The mean depth of the backwaters has also been decreased to 65.67% during the past fifty years as a result of siltation. The resultant reduction in volume together with other environmental alterations have adversely affected the fishery resources in this region. The carrying capacity of the system has been further threatened by the growing inflow of effluents from domestic, agricultural and industrial sources
 
Date 1995-09-03T10:00:59Z
2017-09-29T13:48:38Z
1995-09-03T10:00:59Z
2017-09-29T13:48:38Z
1983
 
Type Journal Article
 
Identifier Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India, vol.25; 1983; 131-141
0025-3146
http://drs.nio.org/drs/handle/2264/6573
 
Language en
 
Relation J Mar Biol Assoc India
 
Publisher Marine Biological Association of India