Ashtamudi Wetland Management Unit constituted

A day after the Kerala High Court expressed its displeasure over the delay in constituting the Ashtamudi Wetland Management Unit, the State government on Thursday informed the court that an order had been issued to constitute the unit that is expected to combat pollution and environmental threat the wetland in Kollam district is facing.

The order dated January 7 was issued by the Special Secretary of the Environment Department. The unit has been constituted with the District Collector as chairperson, adhering to the court order of July 2025. The court on Wednesday suggested that the member secretary of the State Wetland Authority can function as the CEO of the wetland management unit.

A contempt plea in this regard was filed by Boris Paul, a lawyer, who alleged that the government was yet to comply with the directives issued by the High Court in July to conserve the Ashtamudi wetland.

He and the Kollam-based Help Foundation had earlier filed a public interest litigation (PIL), highlighting the rampant waste dumping and encroachments in the wetland, which in turn was causing water pollution and destruction of mangrove forests, among others. They had also sought a court directive to remove the encroachers and form an independent monitoring committee, to continuously monitor the lake’s conservation measures.

Following this, the court had directed the State government and the State Wetland Authority Kerala (SWAK) to constitute the wetland management unit for the conservation of the wetland, within two months of a notification being issued for this. In addition, an integrated management plan for the wetland was to be finalised within six months.

On Thursday, the petitioner Mr. Paul argued that so far, (barring the Government Order dated January 7 regarding the unit) the other aspects that were mentioned in the court judgment (of July), had not been complied with by the State government. The matter was posted for hearing on January 22 by a Bench of Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Syam Kumar V.M.

The second biggest wetland in Kerala, the Ashtamudi lake was designated a Ramsar site in 2002. A sanitation survey done by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) around the lake in 2020-2022 revealed serious health risks due to poor waste management. Open defecation around Ashtamudi was contributing to the spread of waterborne diseases, while 18% of households discharged toilet waste directly into the waterbody.

A report of the Committee on Environment of the Kerala Legislative Assembly had in its report submitted to the Assembly on March 17, 2023 stated that the Ashtamudi wetland faced heavy pollution, encroachments, and siltation. Its area reduced from 61.40 sq. km. to 34 sq. km, while its depth reduced to less than half a metre in many areas.

Mangroves and crucial fish-breeding grounds almost disappeared, and fishers dependent on this wetland were on the verge of losing their livelihoods. Human waste, chemicals and untreated hospital and commercial waste entered the wetland through the Kollam canal. Tourism-related waste and plastic accumulation in the Kollam and Neendakara backwaters, sand mining, unregulated housing, and rampant pesticide use were too were issues, the report said.

In 2023, the National Green Tribunal had imposed a penalty of ₹10 crore on the State government, for its failure to protect Ashtamudi Lake and other wetlands. Since no concrete measures were taken, the petitioners filed the PIL.