What Happened
- The Andhra Pradesh government has moved to exclude more than 5,300 acres of land spread across 10 villages in West Godavari district from the protected boundaries of Kolleru Lake Wildlife Sanctuary.
- The exclusion is part of a broader plan to downsize the Kolleru Lake sanctuary area, reconciling conservation boundaries with existing agricultural use and habitation.
- Farmers and residents in the 10 affected villages will be able to legally use the land for farming and related activities once the exclusion is formalised.
- This move is separate from — but related to — Andhra Pradesh's ongoing effort to seek Supreme Court and Central Empowered Committee (CEC) approval to exclude up to 20,000 acres from the sanctuary buffer zone for farmers' welfare.
- Environmentalists have raised concerns about the cumulative impact of successive exclusions on the lake's ecosystem, migratory bird habitat, and its status as a Ramsar site of international importance.
- The lake has long faced pressure from aquaculture encroachments, agricultural conversion, and sedimentation, making its boundary a contested space between livelihoods and conservation.
Static Topic Bridges
Kolleru Lake — Ecology, Status, and Significance
Kolleru Lake is one of the largest natural freshwater lakes in India and is classified as the largest shallow freshwater lake in Asia, covering approximately 245 km² of lake area within a total Ramsar-designated wetland of 302 km². It lies between the Krishna and Godavari river deltas in Andhra Pradesh.
- Protected status: Declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in November 1999 under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972; designated a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance in November 2002.
- Biodiversity: The lake historically hosted an estimated 20 million resident and migratory birds, including the vulnerable Grey or Spot-billed Pelican (Pelecanus philippensis).
- It is a key node on the Central Asian Flyway, one of the world's major bird migratory routes.
- Ecological functions: Flood mitigation for surrounding delta regions, groundwater recharge, carbon sequestration, and filtration of industrial pollutants.
- Economic functions: Sustains fisheries (both capture and culture), agriculture, and related livelihoods for surrounding communities.
Connection to this news: The exclusion of 5,300 acres removes land from the sanctuary's protected perimeter. Even if the excluded land was already under agricultural use de facto, its de jure exclusion reduces the legal protection available to the wetland ecosystem and sets a precedent for further boundary contraction.
Ramsar Convention — Wetlands of International Importance
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (formally, the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat) is an intergovernmental treaty adopted in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971. It provides a framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands.
- India is a signatory to the Ramsar Convention. As of 2025, India has 85 Ramsar sites — the highest number among Asian countries.
- A site designated as a Ramsar wetland must be managed under a "wise use" principle — maintaining ecological character while allowing sustainable human use.
- Ramsar designation does not override national law but creates international obligations to prevent loss of ecological character.
- Key Ramsar sites in India include Chilika Lake (Odisha), Keoladeo Ghana NP (Rajasthan), Loktak Lake (Manipur), and Kolleru Lake (Andhra Pradesh).
- The Montreux Record is a register of Ramsar sites where ecological character has changed, is changing, or is likely to change. Kolleru was on the Montreux Record from 2002 to 2012 due to encroachment.
Connection to this news: Kolleru was removed from the Montreux Record in 2012 after remediation efforts. Successive exclusions of land from the sanctuary raise the risk of ecological character change that could place it back on the Montreux Record or trigger review by the Ramsar Secretariat.
Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 — Sanctuary Boundaries and Denotification
The Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), 1972 is the primary legislation governing wildlife conservation in India. It provides for the declaration and management of Protected Areas including Wildlife Sanctuaries, National Parks, Conservation Reserves, and Community Reserves.
- A Wildlife Sanctuary can be declared by a state government under Section 18 of the WPA; boundary alterations require following specified legal procedures.
- Unlike National Parks (where boundaries can only be altered by the state legislature), Sanctuary boundaries can be altered by the state government — but require prior consultation with the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) and, in some cases, Supreme Court approval if the area falls under its monitoring jurisdiction.
- The Supreme Court's Central Empowered Committee (CEC) reviews proposals for diversion of forest and wildlife lands, including sanctuary boundary changes.
- The 2006 amendment to the WPA strengthened provisions for people living inside sanctuaries, requiring settlement of rights before declaring any area a sanctuary — a provision that has complicated legacy cases like Kolleru.
Connection to this news: The exclusion of 5,300 acres must navigate the WPA's procedures for boundary alteration. The parallel SC/CEC petition for 20,000 acres suggests that the state is pursuing boundary revision through multiple simultaneous channels — both administrative and judicial.
Wetland Encroachment in India — A Systemic Pattern
Wetland encroachment for aquaculture, agriculture, and real estate is a systemic challenge across India. Many of India's major wetlands — Chilika, Vembanad, Loktak, Pulicat, and Kolleru — have faced decades of illegal aquaculture, land conversion, and sedimentation.
- India lost approximately 30% of its wetland area between 1970 and 2013 (Wetlands International estimate).
- The Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 mandate state governments to prepare management plans for notified wetlands and prohibit activities such as drainage, solid waste dumping, and construction within wetland boundaries.
- Kolleru specifically faced a massive encroachment crisis in the 2000s when prawn aquaculture ponds proliferated within the lake boundaries; a Supreme Court order in 2006 directed removal of illegal fish/prawn farms.
- The National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Eco-systems (NPCA) provides central funding for wetland conservation, including Kolleru.
Connection to this news: The 5,300-acre exclusion being framed as a pro-farmer measure follows a familiar pattern in Indian wetland governance — where de facto encroachments eventually receive de jure legitimisation through boundary revision, at the cost of the wetland's ecological integrity.
Key Facts & Data
- Area to be excluded: Over 5,300 acres across 10 villages in West Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh.
- Kolleru Lake area: ~245 km² lake; ~302 km² total Ramsar-designated wetland.
- Wildlife Sanctuary declaration: November 1999 (under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972).
- Ramsar designation: November 2002 (Ramsar site No. 1209).
- Montreux Record listing: 2002–2012 (due to encroachment); removed after remediation.
- Migratory bird significance: Key node on the Central Asian Flyway; historically hosted ~20 million birds.
- Larger pending exclusion proposal: Up to 20,000 acres — under review by Supreme Court/CEC.
- India's total Ramsar sites: 85 (as of 2025) — highest in Asia.
- India's wetland loss: Approximately 30% between 1970 and 2013.
- Governing legislation: Wildlife Protection Act, 1972; Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017.