Chilika Wildlife Division
| District : | Khordha, Puri, Ganjam |
| Geographical Extent : | Longitude 85° 4'E and 85° 37'E & Latitude 19° 58'N and 19° 24'N |
| Climate : | Temperature: 25ºC to 42ºC Rainfall: Avg 1200 mm Humidity: 80% to 90% |
Chilika Wildlife Division is located in the district of Khurda, Puri and Ganjam in Odisha. Chilika Lake nestled in this Wildlife Division was designated the first Indian wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. Chilika lake is the largest wintering ground for migratory birds on the Indian sub-continent.
Flora
Recent surveys revealed an overall 726 species of flowering plants belonging to 496 genera and 120 families. The flora is predominantly of aquatic and sub-aquatic plants.Deciduous forests, Coastal casuarinas are also the part of flora in this division surrounding the lake.
Fauna
About 225 species of birds including about 100 migratory species, Irrawaddy dolphins in Chilika lake, Olive ridley sea turtles on coast of Bay of Bengal, barking deer, pea fowls, wild boars, migratory elephants in the forests surrounding the lake.
Set-Ups
| Administrative set-up (Range, Section, beats) : | Ranges- 5, Sections- 15,Beats- 45 |
| EDC/JFM set-up: | EDCs - 0, VSS - 20 |
| Management set-up (RF/PRF/DPF/UDPF/VFs) : | No. of RF- 0, No. of PRF- 7, No. of DPF- 3, No. of UDPF- 1, No. of VF- 0 |
Major Attraction
- Chilika Lake offers visitors a spectacular display of its colorful avian charms in a thousand different hues presented by over 160 species in the peak season between November and February, can be closely watched at Mangalajodi.
- Kalijai Temple - Located on an island in the Chilika Lake is one of the famous religious attractions.
- The Kalijai island is also a mesmerizing destination for pilgrims as well as tourists and can be reached via a boat from Chilika Lake.
- Bhagabati and Narayani temples add attraction to the visitors of Chilika
- Another major attraction at Chilika is Irrawady dolphins which are often spotted off Satpada Island.
- Chilika Lagoon is the first indian site to be declared as one of the internationally renowned Ramsar sites.
Salient Detail
| HQ Address : | O/O Divisional Forest Officer, Chilika Wildlife Division At/Po- Gopinathpur, Ps- Balugaon, Dist- Khurda Pin-752030 |
| Contact officer : | Divisional Forest Officer |
| Key activities : | Protection of migratory birds & their habitat management, protection of Irrawaddy dolphins Monitoring of sporadic nesting of olive ridley turtles, monitoring of movement of wild elephants, |
| Programmes : | ecotourism management,Protection through deployment of squad, boat patrolling, disease surveillance, minimal habitat interventions, awareness programmes |
| Places to see : | Kalijai, Mangalajodi, Satapada, Rajhans, Sea mouth, different islands |
Disclaimer : The information contained herein are provided solely for informational purposes only.The content is dynamic and may undergo change from time to time. The snapshot of the content at a particular time is not to be referred as a legally binding document.