Chilika Lake Restoration
In 2000, the Chilika Development Authority opened a new mouth between India's Chilika Lake and the sea, and the lagoon and its fisheries recovered (CDA).
Image: Phadke09 via Wikimedia Commons (Mouth of Chilika Lake, CC BY-SA 4.0).
Last reviewed: 2 sources cited
Opening one new mouth to the sea brought a dying lagoon, and its fishers, back to life.
In the seven months after the new mouth opened, the fish landing was 3,718 tonnes, against an earlier average of about 1,600 tonnes a year (Chilika Development Authority).
Explain Like I'm 10
- Chilika is a huge lagoon in India where river water and seawater mix.
- Mud was choking its link to the sea, so fish and the people who catch them were struggling.
- Engineers dug a new opening to the sea, and the fish came back.
The Five W's of Chilika
Who
The Chilika Development Authority (CDA), a body of the Government of Odisha, India.
What
A new mouth to the sea and desilting of the lead channel, which shortened the outflow channel by 18 km.
When
The new mouth opened on 23 September 2000.
Where
Chilika Lake, a brackish lagoon on the Bay of Bengal in Odisha, India.
Why
Silt, a shrinking water area, falling How salty water is. Saltier water is heavier, so differences in salinity help drive ocean currents. Glossary and invasive freshwater weeds were degrading the lagoon.
Impact Statement
Government solution · active
The CDA reports that average annual family income for fishers rose by more than Rs 50,000 after the restoration (CDA figure).
Source: Chilika Development Authority, Eco-restoration
For Further Information: Chilika Development Authority, Eco-restoration
The 2025 state census counted 159 Irrawaddy dolphins in Chilika, the highest of any area in Odisha (state wildlife wing, via The New Indian Express).
How This Saves People & the Planet
For People
The restored lagoon immensely benefited the fisher families who depend on it (CDA).
Source: Chilika Development Authority, Eco-restoration
For Nature
The new mouth improved salinity and rejuvenated the lagoon A community of living things and the place they live, like a reef or a forest, all depending on each other. Glossary (CDA).
Learn More About Chilika
Want to go deeper? The Chilika Development Authority explains the restoration.
For Further InformationRelated Solutions
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