It is said that “Technology is a bane disguised as a boon.” However, like any other apparatus, it is a means to some- thing, and whether good or bad depends on its usage. In recent years it has impacted many lives, changing it for the better. One such instance has been the Rejuvenation of the Chilika. With an area spanning between 906 km2 – 1,165 km2, the Chilika lake isn’t just any water body for the people of Chilika. It forms the elixir of livelihood and the synergy of all species living in and around it. The Chilika Lake, a brackish lake in the state of Orissa, with its 52 primary inflow streams, is an ecosystem in itself. This lake is the source of livelihood of more than thousands of people and used to be called the Jewel of Orissa.”However, since the 1990s, this lake and the state of this ecosystem have been gradually declining. The lake has been encountering problems that are affecting the sustenance of the lake and dependent species. The narrowing of the Lagoon’s mouth resulted in a decline in the salinity of the lake. The improper claiming of land for agriculture very close to the shores of the lake has also affected the breeding and spawning grounds of many important fishes and mollusks. By 1993, the problems in Chilika were so severe that the lake was put under The Montreux Record (Threatened List) . This was done as the lake was considered to have undergone, to be undergoing, or to be likely to undergo a change in its ecological character brought about by human action.This deterioration of the Chilika biome was turning into an imminent threat. Nevertheless, with the emerging technology, this threat was very efficaciously curbed. Floating agriculture islands address the issue of improper claiming of agricultural land along the shore, benefiting both the farmers and the lake’s ecological balance. Vertical aquaculture, which is still a developing technology, will eliminate the agricultural runoff into the water while also producing year-round. This will also revive the fish catches that would have otherwise declined due to the agriculture discharge. Bioengineering is being put in place to also prevent the pollution of the water in Chilika. Private organizations like BarifloLabs and grassroots-level NGOs like “Pallishree” have utilized these emerging technologies, which constructively impact the agriculture and the biomes of the Chilika lake. With such mechanisms and apparatus, this restoration process has helped improve seagrass meadows and their species diversity, improving water level variations during the tidal cycle turning the Lagoon into a pulsating mode. Though there will always be a need for consistent efforts from all public and private institutions, this restoration has been a significant accomplishment in the history of the use of technology. Technology today has helped much, so it is no longer a threatened site. Technology, in this case, has been the evident boon that invigorates the elixir we call Chilika.
10 Jan 2022
Pranjal Nangare
