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Source: The post is based on the article “Vembanad, Ashtamudi: NGT slaps Rs 10 crore on Kerala for its failure to protect Ramsar sites” published in The Hindu on 31st March 2023
What is the News?
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed a penalty of Rs 10 crore on the Kerala government for failing to protect the Vembanad and Ashtamudi lakes, which are included in the Ramsar list of wetlands.
What is Vembanad Lake?
What is Ashtamudi Lake?
Ashtamudi Lake is located in Kerala
It is a backwater lake. The lake is also called the gateway to the backwaters of Kerala.
The importance of Ashtamudi Kayal dates back to the times of the Romans and Phoenicians in the 14th century. It was considered as one of the most important ports among the five ports used for Chinese trade.
Kallada River is a major river discharging into the Ashtamudi Lake.
There is a famous island in this lake called Munroe island. It is a group of eight small islands in this lake.
Another island called Chavara south is said to be rich in minerals. It is a small village with factories set up for the extraction of the minerals present here.
There is also another island called Thekkumbhagom island. This is also a small village and is significant because the composer of the first epic poetry in Malayalam named Azhakath Padmanabha Kurup hails from this village.
