Over one lakh families in the two dozen villages, abutting the Pulicat lake, in Gudur and Sullurpeta constituencies who depend on fishing and allied activities, have been deprived of livelihood sources due to a drastic fall in water level in the lake over decades
The lake is spread over 481 sq.km in Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh on the north and Tiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu on the south. The waterbody has been shrinking due to the accumulation of sand at Raidoruvu (Pudi Rayadoruvu) inlet, the northern entry point from the sea.
A study conducted by the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), working under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, found a solution in opening the mouth to allow water to flow into the lake. The study also recommended construction of training jetties for its stabilisation, besides dredging of channel in a stretch of 2.8 km towards the lake.
