Sasthamkotta lake dries up

KOLLAM: Sasthamkotta lake, the largest freshwater lake in the state, is drying up at an alarming rate with nearly half of its total area of 3.73 square kilometres turning into dry cracked land. Despite attempts, including planting trees along its catchment area to maintain the already depleted lake, the water level is coming down at the rate of 50 cm every year. The drinking water distribution to  Kollam city and its suburbs will be hit during the summer months  as a whopping quantity of  over 35 MLD is being pumped out from the lake daily.

Meanwhile, the district administration  has banned bathing or washing clothes, animals and vehicles in the lake to prevent pollution.  It  has also warned of penal action by the departments, including revenue, police, panchayat, geology and pollution control board, against the violators. The pumping of water from the lake was earlier limited to alternate days in an  attempt to maintain the water level, but in vain. The order issued by district collector T. Mitra  has also warned of action against dumping plastic and animal waste  and flowing household drainage to the water body. 

Sand and mud mining  from the lake and agriculture using chemical fertilizers and pesticides within 100 metres from the lake and catching fish using explosives are also banned. The quantity of water in the lake has  come down to half of its carrying capacity of 3.73 sq km recently. During the last two decades, the annual average level of water has come down to 12.5 metres from an initial 17 metres  due to excessive mining and less recharging of water due to filling of surrounding swamp land areas for construction purposes.