IFS Officer Sudha Ramen Revives Dried-Up Chennai Lake

A young forest official, Sudha Ramen, has done the impossible. Chennai's Otteri Lake in Vandalur Zoo, which had dried-up, has now been revived. For three years, the lake was dry. It used to attract thousands of migratory birds. Sudha Ramen has restored the lake to its former glory. Today, it is brimming with water and the birds have returned.

Who Is Sudha Ramen?

Sudha Ramen is an Indian Forest Service official. A biomedical engineer by training, she is also an ex-techie who chose to switch to forest services. Sudha is also the Deputy Director of the Vandalur Zoo. She also developed an App that won her the Dr Kalam Innovation in Governance Award for 2019.

“Nearly 300 migratory birds have already nested around the revived lake, and it’s just the start of the season. We are hoping to see more of our ‘foreigner’ guests flying in soon!” says Sudha Ramen.

Chennai's Otteri Lake was already inching towards a slow death. It was battered by Cyclone Vardah in 2016. This was also followed by consecutive summers of severe drought. This resulted in the large lake drying up almost entirely. However, the last nail in the coffin was a severe 2018 drought in Chennai. The zoo was badly affected and authorities had to outsource water from the lake for the animals. Ultimately, the lake was left completely dry and the birds stopped coming. The huge 18-acre lake remained in this pitiful state. The director of the zoo Yogesh Singh, said, “This lake used to be a haven for migratory birds that would come to breed during the winter months. However, after Vardah ravaged the zoo and the monsoon failed, the lake went dry.”

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How The Lake Was Revived

In February, work started to revive the lake. By October, the lake was brimming with water again. In a short span of a few months, the birds also started to come again.

To restore the lake, the zoo managers desilted the lake. “The first task was to clear the natural drainage channels, followed by desilting. The soil was utilised to raise shallow mounds across the expanse of the lake, which we later afforested with fast-growing plants that attract birds,” says Ramen. Among the trees that were planted were Barringtonia (freshwater mangrove), Arjuna, Jamun, Ficus. The lake's bund was also strengthened. Weeds, as well as shrubs, were cleared. “To our immense surprise, almost all the mounds were submerged by rainwater this season, and the plants are thriving at their brightest green,” said Sudha Ramen. In addition, they have reconstructed the walking trail around the lake. This trail had been destroyed by the Cyclone Vardah.

In case of overflow because of heavy rains, Sudha Ramen said that they have created an excess water diversion channel. She added that they were aided by the early North East monsoons.

The Challenges

However, there were challenges involved in the difficult task. There was weed encroachment in a major portion of the lake. The proliferation of killer weeds led to eutrophication in the water-retaining zones of the lakes. It was a painstaking task to weed the vast area.

This was the lake that was dead and dried up a year back. This was the lake that had missed its bird guests. This was one of the water body we had worked hard to revive and rejuvenate. Now the water and the birds are back and our smiles too. Work is pleasure. pic.twitter.com/E9GAJ5vxOC

— Sudha Ramen IFS 🇮🇳 (@SudhaRamenIFS) December 5, 2019

Today, the lake can be seen brimming with water. For a long time, visitors were not allowed to see it but now they can. According to Ramen, the lake will be an added attraction for the visitors, besides the enclosures.

Sudha is also the Deputy Director of the Vandalur Zoo. She also developed an App that won her the Dr Kalam Innovation in Governance Award for 2019.

“Nearly 300 migratory birds have already nested around the revived lake, and it’s just the start of the season. We are hoping to see more of our ‘foreigner’ guests flying in soon!” says Sudha Ramen. She also said that “One can see glossy ibises, painted storks, egrets, herons, cormorants and darters. We expect more birds to come.”

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