Kolleru Lake
Kolleru Lake is one of India's largest freshwater lakes, located in Andhra Pradesh between the Krishna and Godavari deltas, near the town of Eluru. The lake covers about 245 square kilometers, and the surrounding wetlands protected as part of the Ramsar site add up to around 300 square kilometers in total.
The lake is fed by seasonal streams Budameru and Tammileru and is connected to the Krishna and Godavari irrigation networks through many canals.
Kolleru is famous for birds. In winter, millions of migratory and resident birds visit, including Siberian crane, ibis, and painted storks. Because of its important bird life, the area was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1999 and a Ramsar-designated wetland in 2002, marking its international significance.
In recent years, pollution and aquaculture changed the lake. Many fish ponds were created inside the lake, and farming reduced water flow and biodiversity. Factories along the shore discharge waste, affecting water quality and making it harder to get clean drinking water from the lake.
To address these problems, the government launched cleanup efforts starting in 2006 with Operation Kolleru, and later ferried on as Operation Kolleru-2.0 to restore water flow and the lake’s health. Water flow to the sea has been affected, leading to seasonal floods in some areas.
The lake has several islets, such as Kolletikota (the Heart of Kolleru Lake), and birdwatching spots at Atapaka, Murthyraju tank, and East Chodavaram. It is accessible by road from Eluru and other nearby towns, with hotels available in the surrounding areas.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 07:24 (CET).