Centre releases funds to Conserve Chilika Lake Under National Plan for Aquatic Eco-Systems

Bhubaneswar:  In a significant move, the Centre has disbursed funds for the preservation and management of Chilika Lake in Odisha. The allocated funds fall under the ambit of the National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Eco-Systems (NPCA).

Approval for the Integrated Management Plan (IMP) for the conservation of Chilika Lake was granted by the Centre in March 2012. The plan entails an estimated expenditure of approximately Rs 23.50 crore over a specified timeframe. The cost-sharing ratio between the Centre and the state government stands at 60:40.

As part of this initiative, the Centre has recently released the first installment of Rs 1.175 crore to the Odisha government, earmarked for the second year’s scheme implementation. Both the central and state governments are anticipated to contribute Rs 4.701 crore collectively for executing the scheme during the second year.

Sources indicate that the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change greenlit the disbursement of funds following the submission of Utilisation Certificates (UCs), a physical progress report, and accompanying photographs by the Chilika Development Authority (CDA).