Chilika is the largest lagoon along the east coast of India, situated between latitude 190 28’ and 190 54’ N and longitude 850 05’ and 850 38’ E. The lagoon is a unique assemblage of marine, brackish and fresh water Eco-system with estuarine characters. It is one of the hotspots of biodiversity and shelters a number of endangered species listed in the IUCN red list of threatened species, and also is a designated Ramsar site.
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| Chilika Lake Morning View |
It is an avian grandeur and the wintering ground for more than one million migratory birds. The highly productive lagoon Eco-system with its rich fishery resources sustains the livelihood of more than 0.15 million-fisher folk who live in and around the Lagoon. The water spread area of the Lagoon varies between 1165 to 906 sq.km during the monsoon and summer respectively. A 32 km long, narrow, outer channel connects the lagoon to the Bay of Bengal, near the village Motto, recently a new mouth was opened by Chilika Development Authority(ACDA) which has brought a new lease of life to the lagoon.