Wake our lakes
- POSTED ON: 5 Jul, 2020
- TOTAL VIEWS: 608 Views
- POSTED BY: Bhavya Venkatesh
- ARTICLE POINTS: 100 Points
Have you ever visited a lake? Perhaps you have even gone boating on one? According to a study, it is estimated that there are about 117 million lakes in the world, occupying almost 4% of the world’s land surface. That’s a lot of lakes!
Lakes are used for drinking water supplies, irrigation and/or recreation. They are also home to wildlife and ecosystems, and are a source of livelihood to communities that live near them.
Sometimes, lakes may become contaminated or dead. Several factors cause this — pollution, unsustainable farming practices, erosion, dumping of waste, etc. Such lakes need to be revived in order to bring them back to their original condition. This involves a lot of effort, and it requires the contribution of experts in lake ecology and biodiversity, hydro-geologists, engineers, farmers, landscape designers, and so on. Any approach towards restoring lakes should ideally be economical and sustainable, while also being capable of balancing ecosystems and livelihoods.
Recently, a plan was announced to restore the Akkulam Lake in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Using environment-friendly methods and latest technology, the aim is to clean up and rejuvenate the lake and introduce boating and water sports to attract tourists.
Here is an image of the proposed revamp. There are five differences between the two images. Can you spot them all?
Photo: Special arrangement