Bhubaneswar: Ansupa, the state's largest freshwater lake located in Cuttack, is set to get a new lease of life with the Naveen Patnaik government restoring the water body.

Chilika Development Authority (CDA), the nodal agency of the project, has also decided to convert the vegetation covering the lake in to organic manure.

The lake, which has a water spread area of 382 acres, is now facing problems such as siltation and shrinkage of water spread area, obstruction of inlet and outlet affecting exchange of water between the Mahanadi and the lake, and decline of fishery resources. A CDA official said that vegetation had covered nearly 99 per cent of the lake area. "We have already started the work to remove weeds from the lake area. Soon, we will start dredging of Kabula and Huluhala channels, the lifeline of the lake that ensures flow of the Mahanadi water into the lake. We will also come up with water harvesting structures for the lake," said CDA additional chief executive Sasmita Lenka.

"We will put the weeds into compost pits to produce organic manure. The organic manure can replace use of chemical fertilisers in the catchment area of the lake, which is used for agriculture. Such weed management can be done at regular intervals," said Lenka.

The biodiversity of the lake includes nine species of submerged, 12 species of floating and 26 species of emergent aquatic plants. The lake is home to 33 species of fish, three species of prawn and 10 species of reptiles. The lake is also home to 50 species of water birds.

An eco garden has also been developed by the of the lake to sensitise the visitors about wetlands with an emphasis on the Ansupa lake.